Alfa and Omega
by Mighty ANT
Summary: Two cars, brought together by fate. One was suave and sleek, an excellent spy. The other sent to help infiltrate a government. Torn apart when needed most; lost and heartbroken alone. Finn/Giulia -Rated to be safe- Both Pre-and-Post Movie
1. Chapter 1

_**~PIXAR owns Cars-I don't~**_

_**Genre: Romance, Adventure, Mystery, Angst**_

_**Note: This story has nothing to do with my oneshot 'The Reason Why'**_

* * *

_**Alfa and Omega**_

_~ Palermo, Sicily 1987- Carcione Household~_

A candy apple red Alfa Romeo drove through the wide double doors, held open by butler-forklifts, glancing around in muted awe. The manor itself was enormous, with expensive paintings lining the walls, and even more costly art decorating the entire mansion. Everything shone, from the cream colored walls to the granite floor, but the feeling it gave off was far from majesty.

She was escorted by a bulky black De Tomaso Mangusta on one side and an even more massive burgundy Abarth 1600 on the other. The considerably smaller car raised her hood high upon entering, not willing to be frightened by her 'companions'. The ceiling of the room itself seemed to go on forever, decorated beautifully with a skill that rivaled Michael Axelo's. The area seemed to outshine the entire manor, golden tapestries lining the walls, the very floor glowing with an almost unearthly light. A thick wooden desk was located in the middle of the room, an exquisite rug planted under it. Bullet proof glass filled the long windows behind the desk, covered by wine red curtains, sunlight filtering through the exposed glass.

Seated behind the desk was the owner of the glorious home and head of the Carcione family, Acrisio Denaro Carcione. The cream colored Alfa Romeo Spider glanced up from the papers on his desk, smirking when he laid eyes on the younger car. "Ah, _figlia, _how are you?"

The two escorts on either side of her dropped back, allowing the young car to roll forward, "Fine, _papá,"_ she murmured respectfully, lowering her hood slightly. She didn't dare look her father in the eyes. The older Alfa Romeo moved out of his chair, driving around the desk as he regarded his daughter.

"You're probably wondering why I called you here, correct, Giulia?"

"I am a bit curious, _papá."_

"Well, I suppose that I must tell you, then." The elder Italian car paused in front of Giulia, looking her over for a moment before driving around her as well. The younger car turned, but didn't follow her father, "You are well aware of the _intelligence Britannica, _correct?"

"_Sí_, the MI6."

Acrisio nodded," And as you might also know, those British _imbecilli _constantly interrupt our…_respectable_ endeavors, and after many years, we have become…eh, 'fed up'."

"The point of all this, father?" Giulia snapped suddenly, on impulse, but immediately flinched when the elder car's intimidating gaze landed on her. Acrisio's eyes narrowed for a moment before he continued.

"So, we have thought of a plan to end these annoying interruptions." The Spider whirled around, scanning over the tapestries and paintings on all the walls, before turning to face his daughter once more, "If we were to send someone in, _incognito or '_undercover' as they say, to infiltrate the _inglesi _in one of their prime bases, posing as one of them, we would receive crucial information on their _own_ endeavors."

"What part do I play in this, _papá?"_ the younger Alfa Romeo inquired cautiously, watching her father as he drove back over to his desk, where he had a series of miniature flags—from his country and several others. He picked up the British flag, looking it over in his tires before answering.

"You will be the one to infiltrate the British Spy Academy,_ mia figlia,"_ Acrisio murmured," _You_ will be the one to bring down the _inglesi._ From the inside."

Acrisio snapped the flag in half.

* * *

_**Figlia- Daughter**_

_**Padre- father**_

_**Intelligence Britannica-British Intelligence **_

_**Imbecilli- imbeciles **_

_**Incognito-undercover**_

_**Inglesi- the British**_

_**Mia figlia- my daughter**_

_**Sí- yes **_

* * *

__**This story will be a bit...**_**different**_** from my other ones, if you've read them. Giulia is an actual character, or was going to be, if they hadn't taken her out of the movie. She can be seen in the Cars 2 Art Book, although this entire story isn't even mine. Funkywatermelon and her sister came up with it and pretty much own this entire plot. **

**I only own Acrisio, (well sorta...I own his name... and his last name) this plot belongs solely to Funkywatermelon, and if you would like to use any of its characters (that aren't mine or PIXAR's) you will have to ask her. **

**Now, if you've read this story, please review. Flames aren't wanted, or tolerated. **


	2. Chapter 2

_~Outside British Spy Academy London, England 1987- 2200 Hours~_

The silvery blue Aston Martin drove down the busy London road, eyes alert and every nut and bolt shaking with pent up energy. The cars on either side took no notice of him, and he preferred to keep it that way as he turned on a side street, coming into another portion of town, the boulevards here noticeably emptier.

Only a few cars traversed the seemingly vacant part of the city, and while most of the vehicles present blatantly ignored the large building at the end of the road, it was the current destination of the Aston Martin.

However, as he neared the building, he noticed a striking candy apple red Alfa Romeo standing in front of the grey structure, her blue-grey eyes wide as she gazed up at the simple building. Fear and apprehension were clear in her features, typical for first time recruits. But like most men, the Aston Martin paid more attention to her looks for than anything else.

Putting on his most suave smile, the Aston Martin revved his engine, driving over to her," A little lost, are we?"

The Alfa Romeo jumped, whirling around to face him, before her features gradually relaxed, "you could say that," she answered with a thick Italian accent, though still spoke perfect English.

Finn smirked, ignoring the looks he was receiving from the cars around them. They could all jump into the Thames for all he cared. She was flirting back. The pair began driving towards the building, continuing their conversation. "Now, could you please explain to me why an Italian car is outside the _British_ Spy Academy?"

She only shrugged nonchalantly, blatantly disregarding their fellow recruit's glares, although Finn didn't miss the look of unrestrained panic that had flashed through her eyes as they pushed through the double doors and into the plain building, "I have, as you say, 'connections'." The Alfa Romeo cocked her hood to the side, "So, do you have a name, _straniero?_"

The Aston Martin bowed slightly, both paying no attention to the fact that they had finally entered the academy building,"Ah yes, forgive me for my atrocious manners. My name is Finn McMissile."

"Giulia Del Tyre."

"Ah, from Sicily, then?"

Giulia's expression confirmed her surprise, but she easily brushed it off and smirked in response, "Already putting our skills to the test, are we, _investigatori_?"

"Of course," Finn nodded. The Alfa Romeo tilted her hood to the side again, and began speaking in rapid Italian, so fast that not even he could understand it, (and Finn was already trained in well over six languages) until he realized that she was conversing with someone else over the radio. Giulia turned back towards her companion, lowering her hood slightly, giving the Aston Martin an apologetic smile.

"_Scusa. _It's seems that I'm needed."

"Oh, it's no problem," Finn quickly assured, reversing in order to give the Alfa Romeo more room, "Will I see you again?"

"_Ci puoi contare__," _Giulia smiled softly. "We will be in the same class, after all." She then drove off, most likely to begin her lessons like any self respecting spy car would've done by now, leaving the silvery blue Aston Martin alone. Finn smirked, watching her leave.

It would most certainly be an interesting year.

* * *

_~British Spy Academy London, England 1990 -Graduating Class-1000 Hours ~_

The new British Intelligence agents strode out of the briefing room, cocky swagger and confident smiles all around. They had gotten through three years of one of the most intense spy trainings on Earth, and were now classified as actual agents. While others hadn't been so lucky, and had been instead assigned to the technical department instead of field work, the cars that _were_ field agents certainly appeared pleased.

Among these new recruits was a certain silvery blue Aston Martin, who had left the briefing room last. The agents assigned to the field would be receiving their partners in a matter of minutes, as to learn about each other and any possible weaknesses, and able to fully trust one another when on a mission.

Gazing around the unknown area of the Academy, a district none of them had ever seen or been in before, Finn felt something churn in his tank. Impatience for one, since he simply wanted to receive his partner, his jet, and get out of there as fast as possible and, as the Americans said, 'bust some hoods'. The Aston Martin had been training for three years now, and he was itching to go on his first _real_ mission, no instructors or teachers having to demonstrate and order them around.

"Oi, McMissile!"

Finn turned at the sound of his name, only to be hit on the fender by a familiar tire. Smirking, the Aston Martin greeted his friend, "hello, Leland."

"'Hello'? Is that all I get?" the dark red British sports coupe inquired with false disappointment. "You're an unemotional bloke, aren't you?"

"No, it's just that most of us haven't had a 'lady friend' for nearly three years."

"Ah you're just jealous."

"Yes, I'm sure that's it," the Aston Martin smirked. Leland glowered at him for a moment before his expression became lighthearted again.

"Well, you're obvious jealousy aside; I think it's bloody incredible that we're finally agents. We're even getting _jets_; those buggers are the fastest things in the air!"

"Only you would be concerned about transportation," Finn chuckled as he watched his friend continue ranting. He'd met Leland in his second year at the Academy, and the Jaguar had been one of his best friends ever since. And even if he was a bit excitable at times, the Leland knew when it was time to shut up and pay attention, becoming an extremely fierce fighter when he was serious. That was what had made him eligible for the position of field agent. If the higher-ups even dared put him in the diagnostic or technical department, he'd most likely destroy the place out of sheer boredom. He couldn't exactly control his pent-up energy. Finn could only hope that it would fade with age.

"McMissile," The head administrator called suddenly." McMissile!"

"Well, Finn, it seems that this is the end of road," Leland patted him sadly on the fender. "Good luck, you ol' bugger."

The Aston Martin only smirked, beginning to drive towards the commissioner, "I don't need luck."

"You're going to if you ever want to get a girl!" the Jaguar called in return, before being swallowed by the crowd. The silvery blue car then swiftly made his way over to the Nissan Figaro, his pride growing as he cut off several other agents. He _had_ been at the top of his class, after all.

"Yes, sir?"

"You're being assigned to Del Tyre," the faded green Figaro said, gesturing towards the large windows on the other side of the room. "Both of you have to go out onto the tarmac and speak with Carlisle, he'll then assign you a jet."

Finn nodded, "Yes, Sir. Thank you."

The Aston Martin drove off towards the windows, lost in thought for several moments. .._Del Tyre….Del Tyre….where had he heard that name before? _

Finn finally made it to the windows, where a bright red Alfa Romeo was looking out, watching the various jets idling across the tarmac. Ah, yes. How could he have forgotten?

"Well, Sicily, it's been too long."

Giulia jumped, just as she had done three years prior, before turning to face him with raised eyelids,"McMissile. I never thought I'd see you again, _straniero._"

"Ah yes, I just have the habit of popping up out of nowhere," The Aston Martin smirked, before gesturing towards the nearest elevator, which would take them down onto the tarmac below. "So, shall we?"

The Alfa Romeo grinned as well, driving forward, "Of course." Although her blue-grey eyes never left the agent behind her, "Ever the flirt, are we?"

"_Naturalmente._"

* * *

"This is the jet you'll be receiving: the A113. Equipped with all the latest in spy technology, it has been saved for the top agents of the Academy. In other words, you two."

The MG's speech, despite resembling something that _should_ sound exiting, nearly put the two other cars to sleep, his droning and monotonous voice seeming to suck the life and excitement out of everything around him. Finn felt as if he were about to drop from the depressing tone of it. His partner wasn't faring any better, and was nearly leaning against him when the professor, known as Carlisle, wasn't looking. The jet they were idling under didn't seem any worse for wear, appearing used to the MG's dreadfully dull monotone. His eyes behind the visor were lidded, and the airplane looked half asleep. It was then that Finn realized Carlisle hadn't _stopped talking_.

"—jet's abilities are nearly endless, with a quantity of weapons to rival that of the Royal Navy. The sheer number of escape maneuvers it possesses is astounding all on its—"

"He."

"…..Excuse me?" the professor inquired, eyelid raised as he turned towards Giulia. Even Finn and the jet looked at her in surprise. The Alfa Romeo appeared perturbed by the attention, but continued nevertheless.

"You called him an it," Giulia explained.

Carlisle chuckled, shaking his hood and explicated to the Italian car as if she were nothing more than a child, "My dear girl, it's a _jet_! Simply used to ferry cars to and from necessary places."

The aircraft above them seemed to deflate, thus filling the Alfa Romeo with confidence, "No, I believe he is much more than that. _He—"_Giulia turned towards the jet,"—what is your name, _mio caro_?"

Taken aback, the aircraft answered,"Um... S-Siddeley."

The Italian vehicle nodded, turning back towards the MG,"_Siddeley _is much more than a simple jet, as is any other aircraft here. They are the near equivalent of agents in my eyes, and are to be treated as such. As what does it matter if he 'ferries' other agents? It is his job, and he should do so with pride."

"Very well," Carlisle huffed, beginning to reverse. "Here is your jet, your mission debriefing will be in an hour." With that the MG abruptly turned, leaving the two cars and aircraft alone without another word. Giulia smirked proudly at his disappearing form, before her expression clouded, receiving a call on her radio.

"_Scusi,_" she murmured, driving off to speak in private.

The male vehicles, of both _terraferma_ and sky, watched her leave, similar looks of surprise adorning their features. After a moment Siddeley spoke, "I like her."

Finn couldn't agree more.

* * *

**I finally updated! And an especially long one, just for you guys! Thanks for the reviews, by the way!**

**And yes, that was the now-deceased Leland Turbo that made an appearance in this chapter. And as you all know, he does indeed mature with age. I felt like adding Leland since I think that he and Finn might of friends back in the day. **

**Anyway, this story is going to contain some more characters from Cars 2, but I'm really sure which ones yet, so if you could give me some suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.**

**And I do believe that there would be some racism towards planes...maybe...it's the CARS world, after all**

~_**PIXAR owns Cars. I'm not Pixar~**_


	3. Chapter 3

_~Unknown Area of the Atlantic Ocean-1990- 0100 Hours~_

"You ready, Del Tyre?"

"_As I'll ever be_," was the prim answer, and Finn smirked.

"You know, this is our third mission, not our first. Why so…'uptight'?"

"_You've been spending too much time with Leland_," Giulia deadpanned upon hearing his strange choice of vocabulary.

The Aston Martin chuckled, changing the subject, "How's surveillance?"

"_Bene_. _No activity on the stern or portside bow. Candy apple paint doesn't work well while hiding in darkness, however_." Finn could almost see her grimace.

"Just grin and bear it," he advised softly, backing into the shadows, "I'll be there soon."

"_Ten-four_."

The radio went dead, the sound of static resonating through his interior, and Finn quickly switched his communicator off as well, ducking behind a bunch of crates as two cars drove by laughing. Only five months had gone by, and this was already their third mission. Time sure flew, especially when being shot at and driving for your life.

The Aston Martin slowly drove out of the darkness, glancing from left to right before silently driving down a ramp and onto a lower level of the ship. Salty ocean breeze blew heavily over the vessel, waves lapping loudly at the sides, the dark and overcast sky above him. The craft Finn and his partner were currently on was housing an inane amount of gold, most of it stolen from the Queen's own personal vault, and the robbers were planning on selling it on the black market, most likely exchanging it for weapons and drugs. Last time he checked, the ship was heading towards the Indian Ocean, probably on course to China. And of course, both Finn and Giulia were there to stop them.

The British spy ducked behind a series of crates again, watching another group of cars drive by, before continuing on. But as he drove, his mind began to wander.

The cars they were facing off against today were your run of the mill 'bad guys'. But Giulia did have a perfectly good reason to be a little worried. They were nearly a hundred cars currently on board, against two British/Italian spies. The odds weren't exactly in their favor. But nevertheless, they would try—

"Hey, you!"

Oh Chrysler. Finn swiftly turned, meeting the gaze of a Plymouth Roadrunner before driving around him just as fast. _Dodge Ram it all_, Finn cursed. He'd gotten distracted, and now he was paying the price. The Aston Martin was nearing the stern of the ship, and he could hear the henchman he encountered shouting for reinforcements. He and Giulia needed to find the gold, call the authorities, and get out of there. But of course, that was the anticlimactic way to go.

Finn quickly zoomed behind a stack of crates once more, thanking the Manufacturer for the fact that these thugs happened to carry around a lot of them. Dropping low, he heard the cars searching for him, the buffoons yelling at one another. He heard a metallic sounding smack, and could safely assume that one of the henchmen had just hit one of his cronies on the hood. Finn smirked. He didn't know why he had been so worried. These blokes were nothing more than muscle-bound idiots. He could easily imagine Leland jumping out and kicking their sorry afts, though. He chuckled at the mental image before quickly reverting his attention to the situation at hand, realizing that the cars around him had stopped talking. All was silent, and the only thing he could hear was the soft lapping of the waves against the ship's hull, and for one terrifying moment, Finn thought that they had gone off and found Giulia.

Slowly driving forward, the Aston Martin prepared to angle his rearview mirrors to see what was going on in front of the crate, only to hear something fly through the air, landing next to his tire with a _thunk_. Gradually turning back around, Finn was greeted by the unwanted sight of a grenade.

"Oh, Dodge."

* * *

Giulia peeked out from behind the dark corner she'd been hiding in, located in a rather desolate part of the ship, a good ways away from the thugs. As well as any action.

The Alfa Romeo huffed, frustrated. Trust Finn to think she couldn't handle the dangerous stuff. Giulia quickly glanced back up however when she heard the sounds of various cars from the level bellow, and cautiously inched forward, out of the shadows. She knew she was putting herself at risk, as she'd said before; candy apple red didn't exactly blend in with the grays and blue of the surrounding walls.

She could see dozens of thugs heading towards one point, an area with several crates, and they dodged and drove around the wooden boxes, apparently searching for something. Or someone, more than likely.

Giulia immediately thought of Finn, down there all alone…once sneaking onto the ship, he had instantly decided on splitting up, and she hadn't heard from him since their last call over the radio several minutes ago. Now though, she could only imagine the worst.

She could hear the thugs yelling, most likely searching for the Aston Martin, and right then and there, Giulia decided she wasn't going to sit on the sidelines and watch her partner get captured. Finn would probably reprimand her for this later, but nevertheless, the Alfa Romeo slowly drove out of her hiding place, keeping to the shadows as she silently cruised down the walkway. The various vehicles bellow her grew louder for a moment, before their voices became nearly nonexistent. Frowning in confusion, the Italian spy continued down the boardwalk, watching the cars underneath with a keen eye. They were now extremely quiet, unnaturally so. And the Alfa Romeo's suspicions only grew.

Her gaze never left the vehicles below her, although she squinted in confusion when they all backed up several hundred feet, only one remaining behind to pitch something behind a stack of crates. Giulia watched in utter bewilderment for a moment, before realization settled.

"Fi—"

Giulia's cry was drowned out by the sound of the explosion. The Alfa Romeo watched in unrestrained horror as the blast shook the very boat, the resulting flare-up of smoke and fire exploding out, beyond thirty feet at least. Wooden crates were sent flying over the edge, others detonating in a burst of wooden chips. The vehicles all came out from their hiding spots, looking over the rumble and twisted lumps of burned machinery, smirking.

"We got 'im," one of the thugs announced, looking over the dark ocean around him," If the explosion didn't kill 'im, these water's will. The current's strong nearly strong enough to drag down a sub. There's no way he'd get outta there alive."

Several others chuckled at the Aston Martin's misfortune, while Giulia struggled to keep from hyperventilating. "_Oh Signore, oh Signore, no, per favore no_…" she murmured, blue-grey eyes wide as gazed at the remaining smoke in horror. Finn couldn't have…he was the near equivalent of indestructible, he couldn't have been…_killed_ by a simply grenade…could he? Giulia had heard of several agents who's deaths had been flukes, simple accidents in the field. Someone had even been blinding by pepper spray (while helping an old woman) and had fallen off of a bridge, crashing into the frigid water several hundred feet below, and killed instantly.

But Finn surely couldn't have died like those had...he was smart, cunning. He would always heave a backup plan ready for whatever mess he found himself caught in. But looking over the smoking and charred remains; Giulia couldn't help but doubt her logic.

The thug's voices drew her back to reality, and her oil ran cold upon hearing what they were saying.

"Go search the ship," one of them ordered." These agents never come alone."

The vehicles below her all dispersed, and the Alfa Romeo quickly backed into the shadows. She had to get out of there. Driving along the long walkways, the Italian spy refused to let any tears make it past her windshield. It wasn't the time.

Giulia continued her rampart driving, heading for her and Finn's predestined meeting place. She could collect herself there and continue on with the mission. Alone.

The Alfa Romeo reversed into the decided corridor, shrouded by darkness once more. She let out a shaky breath." _Signore, ti prego, veglia su quell'imbecille__," _she murmured quietly, looking up at the night sky, stars hidden from view by dark clouds.

A sudden voice from her left made her jump," Well, that's not very kind of you to say."

Giulia whipped around, both gun barrels coming out of her fog lights, only to come fender to fender with an extremely familiar Aston Martin. The Alfa Romeo's breath hitched, she barely managed to breathe,"F-Finn?"

"The one and only," he smirked, although understanding shone through his eyes. He knew what she had been going through the last few minutes.

"_Oh_ _mio Dio,"_ she breathed, looking him over. The British spy was sopping wet from his midnight swim, saltwater pooling under his tires. Before Finn could speak however, the Alfa Romeo locked eyes with him again, and he was shocked at the anger displayed in them. "What in the world…_che cosa stavi pensando?"_ Giulia demanded furiously, voice hushed despite her rage, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I _wasn't _thinking!" the Aston Martin retorted, although in the same low tones as his partner, "I only knew that I had to get out of there!"

"And you accomplished that by what—leaving me to think you'd died?" the Alfa Romeo's sudden change in mood greatly startled Finn—she was usually a very compassionate car, (generally too much for her own good) never having the heart to even yell at anyone, and yet here he was, being effectively 'chewed out' by one of the kindest cars he knew.

"Well I certainly didn't enjoy it either, you know?" Finn replied angrily, feeling his engine whirr.

"_Oh, sí, sono abbastanza sicura."_

With each remark, the two cars grew closer, until they were nearly bumper to bumper. The Aston Martin was fully prepared to launch into another ongoing argument, when Giulia suddenly pressed her lips to his own. His mind went into overdrive, but he immediately responded by kissing back.

After several minutes of lip lock, the two cars parted, breathing heavily. The Alfa Romeo was the first to speak, "Wa-was that…a-alright?"

Finn dimly registered the fact that she meant if it had been proper; if they should have kissed. The British spy's answer was clear enough, "Yes, it was fine." He captured her lips with his own, and everything around them seemed to disappear. Sure they still had some hundred pounds of gold to recover, and perhaps there were several dozen goons that needed to be fought, but at that moment, Finn couldn't have cared less in his life.

Those things could wait.

* * *

_***gasp* Romance! Finally! **_

_**And this was the first time Finn pretended to 'die' during a mission. I don't think Giulia likes it very much. **_

_**~CARS + characters (c) PIXAR~**_

_**~Story plot and (some) character personalities (c) Funkywatermelon~**_


	4. Chapter 4

_~Siddeley's Cabin: Currently leaving Madrid, Spain -1991- 0300 Hours~_

Finn switched off the video camera embedded in the wall, finishing his mission log with a frown. The Aston Martin turned around to face his partner, the Italian car in question lying in one of the maneuverable chairs, thoroughly dented and scratched. Giulia's eyes were barely open, and she seemed ready to lose consciousness at any moment. Finn sighed tiredly, "You know you didn't have to do that."

"_Fare cosa_?"

The Aston Martin met his partners gaze evenly, brow furrowing, "Risking your life for me, Giulia." The Alfa Romeo shrugged indifferently, an action that seemed to cause her great pain, but spoke truthfully.

"The missile was shot point-blank. At the rate and angle it was going –and if I hadn't pushed you out of the way in time— would've most certainly killed you."

"And you as well," Finn growled, averting his gaze. He had tried (unsuccessfully) to not get attached to anyone in his line of work, but Giulia seemed to have warmed her way into his heart, and wasn't about to leave anytime soon. The Alfa Romeo in question sent him a deadpanned look, various dents darkening under the overhead lights.

"It was a risk I was willing to take."

"But I wasn't."

The Alfa Romeo's intense gaze softened and she smiled lightly, "I won't live forever, Finn. It's not in our job description. But I'm willing to sacrifice anything to keep you from harm."

The Aston Martin smirked slightly, "I thought it was the man's job to protect his lady."

"Sometimes the tables are turned."

"Indeed," Finn murmured, looking over his girlfriend for a moment, silently assessing the damage done to her.

Giulia chuckled sardonically, "I'll be _fine_, McMissile. Just a quick check-up and I'll be—as you _inglesi _put it—'right as rain'."

"Check-up my aft," the Aston Martin scoffed, turning to look over information on one the monitors, although his gaze remained on the Alfa Romeo, "We're taking you to the ICU, isn't that right, Siddeley?"

"Correct, Finn," the jet responded tactfully, Giulia glaring up at the ceiling.

"Traitor."

Both the British spy car and aircraft chuckled at the Alfa Romeo's sass, despite the sorry state she was currently in. Finn's mirth died down after a bit, and both vehicles locked eyes for a moment, Giulia's beginning to fall shut in exhaustion.

Finn immediately drove over to her, making sure that she was simply falling asleep and hadn't suffered any sort of concussion (or at least not a major one) before leaving her to rest. The Aston Martin rode over to one of the monitors, apparently set on getting some actual work done rather than worry about his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, the Alfa Romeo in question watched her beau with an expression that could only be called loving, before it morphed into a somber one.

"Even so, you deserve to live more than I do."

* * *

Their first date had been nothing short of perfect.

Siddeley had flown them to Paris, making it the first time Giulia had gone to the City of Lights for a reason that didn't involve their job. Finn had intended to take the Alfa Romeo to one of the most elegant restaurants in the city, only for a small bakery to catch her eye instead. They idled at a table outside, in the full splendor of Paris, talking for hours. They never ran out of topics, and in no way did either of them bore the other.

Giulia enjoyed the simple pleasures, the Aston Martin soon realized.

And even though they had technically been 'together' for a few weeks now, missions and work got in the way of an actual night out. And so, Finn was fully prepared to make this the most memorable night for both of them.

Once they left the bakery, the couple had headed towards the Eiffel Tower, where Finn discovered that Giulia hated mimes. A lot. And so, after knocking the monochromatic car unconscious, (who had also been scaring a small group of American children) they had driven into the very symbol of Paris itself, riding up to the very top. The entire city was spread out below them, a mass of twinkling lights and sounds. A cool breeze blew around them, and the Alfa Romeo leaned towards her beau, her gaze locked on the radiant lights just underneath them, murmuring a quiet thanks. Finn, however, only had eyes for her.

They had stayed that way for some time, until the gathering storm clouds finally drew them away. Once they were back on solid ground the heavens immediately opened up, pouring buckets of rain onto both cars. Although, neither seemed to care and they raced through the dark and soaked streets of Paris, rainfall never ceasing for a moment.

They drove through the deepest of puddles, arcs of water raining down on both of them as they attempted to catch the other. Their laughter seemed to echo through the empty streets, and all sense of tact seemed to erode off of the Aston Martin, racing after his girlfriend.

Finn was finally able to corner the Alfa Romeo at a dead end, panting from exertion. It was then that they were locked in a passionate 'make-out' session for several minutes, before both of them came back for air.

Now the Aston Martin had dated before (contrary to popular belief) and had met dozens of women. But none of them could compare to the one he had before him. Her blue-grey eyes bored into his own with an amount of compassion in them that no one could ever attempt to match.

Finn, by nature, wasn't a superstitious fellow. His idea of good fortune was not getting blown to bits on a mission, and he didn't believe in any of that 'back luck' garbage either. But now that he was with Giulia, Finn knew that fate would never let him have another.

* * *

_~Munich Museum, 1992 -six months later- 2300 Hours~_

The two cars drove away from the smoking building, parts of their paint slightly burnt and covered in ash, but nevertheless, large grill-splitting smiles across adorned their features. The headed towards the silver jet parked a good ways away from the burning structure, several fire trucks and ambulances already arriving.

Siddeley lowered the ramp with a frown, inquiring," Did you have to set fire to the Munich Museum in order to escape?"

"_We_ didn't 'set fire' to anything," Giulia interjected, both she and the Aston Martin alongside her preparing to drive up the incline, "The bad guys did."

"And anyway," Finn cut in," they only set fire to _one room_ in the Munich Museum. Not the whole thing."

"Yes, because there's _such_ a big difference," Siddeley muttered as the two spy cars finally boarded. Once Giulia entered, she immediately rounded on the Aston Martin who'd come in just behind her.

"Mrs. Julia McCullen? Really, Finn?"

"That's no way to talk to your husband," the silvery blue spy car smirked, before noticing his girlfriend's raised eyelid and annoyed expression. "We were undercover; I had to think of something."

"But newlyweds, McMissile?" Giulia questioned quizzically, "why didn't you at least tell me so I wouldn't be so surprised?"

"It was the first thing I could come up with!"

The Alfa Romeo paused. "Really? The first thing that came to mind?"

"Well, it was either that or you being my 'escort'."

Giulia smacked the Aston Martin with a tire, and he raised his own in a defensive position as he chuckled, "I'm joking!"

The Italian car lowered her tire, planting it firmly on the ground as an inquisitive look dawned on her features, and she drew closer to her beau, fully aware of the fact that Siddeley was listening in on their conversation. "So, we were supposedly married, _é corretto_?"

"Yes," Finn replied obliviously. Giulia could feel the jet around them tense.

"And so one question remains…." The Aston Martin glanced at her quizzically, silently willing her to get on with it. Giulia smirked widely, "What're we going to do for the honeymoon?"

The expression on her beau's features was absolutely hilarious before comprehension slowly dawned, and he smiled suavely, "That is an important question indeed."

They both heard the audible click of Siddeley turning off his internal communicator.

* * *

~_Siddeley's Cabin- over the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland 1992- 2200 Hours_

It was supposed to be a routine mission. Meaning, there would be a couple of hot shot 'bad guys' thinking they could take over the world with a couple of big guns. Leland had been a few men short, and had asked Finn and Giulia to fill in. They'd accepted, nothing else was going on at the moment, and the couple could've used a nice, simple mission.

Oh how wrong they'd been.

And now, only a few hours into the mission and already covered in a large multitude of scratches and dents, the three of them idled at the end of Siddeley's cabin, preparing to lower to the ramp and head into the 'drop zone'.

Finn would be the only one throwing himself out of the jet, and he already had a parachute firmly attached somewhere on the inside of his roof. They were being shot at for the moment, and Siddeley was doing his best to avoid the worst of them.

The ramp lowered slowly with an almost ominous sounding whirr, the Aston Martin glancing down at the ground several thousand feet below, and gulped silently.

"Not scared of heights, are we, McMissile?" Leland teased, Giulia smirking lightly as the Aston Martin turned to stare down his friend.

"Not at all, old chap. Simply a bit nervous about diving out of a jet going five hundred ninety miles per hour."

"Six hundred miles, Finn," Siddeley corrected.

Ignoring the aircraft, Finn began to head towards the ramp, only for the Alfa Romeo to stop him this time. "_Aspettate_," she murmured, planting her lips onto his own for a few seconds before pulling back. The Aston Martin turned towards the British sports coupe alongside his girlfriend, expression dazed and questioning.

"I'm not gonna kiss ya," Leland snapped, rolling back slightly.

Both the Aston Martin and Italian car chuckled, and after nuzzling his girlfriend for a moment, Finn backed up, calling behind him as he began to drive down the ramp. "Wish me luck!"

"You don't need it!" Giulia responded, and with that the British spy car drove off of the ramp, spiraling towards the ground several thousand feet below.

She was right, of course. Because with someone like Giulia, who needed luck?

* * *

_**Fare cosa? - Do what?**_

_**Inglesi- British**_

_**É corretto- Correct?**_

_**Aspettate- Wait **_

**If you didn't know, the line from Leland ('I'm not gonna kiss ya') at the end is from Captain America, which is an amazing movie you must all see.**

**And BTW, that 2nd to last vignette is one of the reasons that this story is rated T. **

**Now please review!**

**Oh, and I put a picture of Giulia up on Deviant Art-I got it from my Art of Cars 2- and my username is ant5b. **

**~Cars (c) PIXAR 2011~**

**~Plot (c) Funkywatermelon~**


	5. Chapter 5

_~Approximately 11.4 miles away from Shanghai, China 1992 - Five months later- 0300 Hours~_

"You look like two Stingrays fighting over a grape."

The two spy cars below the jet broke apart for a moment, the Aston Martin glancing up quizzically, "And that concerns you in what way?"

Siddeley exhaled noisily, articulating his annoyance, "Well, Finn, the mission has been completed, both the prime minister and president of China have thanked you and Miss Del Tyre _personally_ for saving the day and all that, and yet we remain here when we could be well on our merry way back to London."

"And the point of all this?"

The jet paused for a moment." I'll put this as delicately as possible. Get. A. Room."

"Well, that's a brilliant idea!" the Aston Martin proclaimed suddenly, turning towards the Alfa Romeo beside him, "Does that sound good to you, my dear?"

"_Sicuramente_," Giulia smirked, looking up at the aircraft above them, "_Grazie_ for the idea, Siddeley!"

"What—but, I didn't—"

The couple started for the back of the jet, heading for the ramp, which Siddeley grudgingly lowered, grumbling crossly under his breath.

He picked up the sound of the two spy cars' voices, and grimaced upon hearing what they were saying."Once we return to the room Siddeley so graciously mentioned, we have a briefing to attend to." The Aston Martin's tone was kept level, although one could catch the mischievous suggestion underlying it. Giulia swiftly caught on, and the jet could almost see her equally impish smirk.

"Will this be a _thorough_ briefing, McMissile?"

"Oh, most definitely," Finn affirmed, the couple disappearing inside the jet's cabin. Of course they were only flirting so suggestively to get on his nerves. Siddeley sighed exasperatedly.

"Well I just about rolled into that one," Another sigh. "I suppose I'd better shut off my internal communicator if I wish to preserve my sanity."

But before he could so, Giulia voice cut through the radio, and it took Siddeley a moment to realize that it was him that she was speaking to. "_Por favore_, head towards Paris, Siddeley. There's an old friend I have to meet."

* * *

_Nuit d'Arabie __Impound Lot, Morocco 1985- 1100 Hours~_

The small navy three-wheeler was escorted by two guards, one on both sides, through the winding and somewhat confusing hallways of the large Marrakesh prison. The Reliant Regal remained silent, an almost smug look cast over his features as he was shoved roughly into a cell, nearly tipping over in the process.

One of the guards then locked the gate, giving the small French car an appraising look before both promptly drove away, the silence filled by the shouts and pleas of his fellow inmates. Rolling back, the Reliant Regal's haughty façade fell, his expression becoming one of disdain. "_Bâtar_,"he growled crossly, turning away from the iron doors. One little slipup, and he ended up in a Moroccan jail. The three-wheeler huffed angrily. Next time, he would ask for identification so that he didn't try to sell black-market parts to a police officer.

A voice from beyond the gates startled him,"Hey, _trois roues_."

The Reliant Regal whipped around, nearly falling over from the sudden turn, snapping," _Que voulez-vous, vous marocaine des ordures_?" He was met with the visage of a forest green Alfa Romeo, watching him with a cynical expression adorning her features. She smirked at his apparent annoyance, speaking with a thick Italian accent.

"Tomber Rous, I presume?"

The three-wheeler frowned, eyelid raised."Do I know you?"

The Alfa Romeo smiled slightly, "Well, not me personally, although you might recognize the name Carcione."

Tomber immediately rolled back in horror, bumper nearly hitting the wall, front wheel quaking slightly,"y-you're a Carcione? Has Acrisio finally come for me?"

The Italian car snorted, shaking her hood, "No, believe me; I would never leave any car—no matter his or her sins—to my father's wrath. It's a fate worse than death." She drew herself up, "I am actually here to free you."

"And why's that, _princesse_?"

The Alfa Romeo rode nearer, her front bumper brushing against the gates, "Because, _monsieur_, you know about my mother."

Understanding crept onto Tomber's features,"Ah, so you would like to know about your dearly departed _mére_?"

The Italian's eyes narrowed. "You don't know if she's dead."

"True," the three-wheeler shrugged. "But I do know _about_ her. Clarissa was always the one who came to pick up spare parts for your father and his henchmen. Beautiful car, a Jaguar, correct?" Tomber raised an eyelid, patiently awaiting a reaction from the young Alfa Romeo.

Her eyes narrowed slightly once more."I don't know, you tell me."

The Reliant Regal's eyelids both rose in understanding,"Ah, you never met her, then?" He paused, pondering something before he spoke again."That is why you want information."

"Perhaps," she smirked, calling over a guard to open the gate. Tomber shook his hood with a chuckle, the incensed muttering of the police officer reaching him, although the Moroccan car didn't dare cross the daughter of the greatly feared Acrisio Carcione.

"You are a fickle creature, you know that, _princesse_?"

"I am well aware."

The metal doors fell open with a clang, and the Reliant Regal drove out confidentially, muttered a quick curse in the guard's direction before following the Alfa Romeo out of the prison. After a moment he was able to match pace with her, and he smiled slightly at the glares he received from inmates and security guards alike. Once they finally exited the jail, Tomber turned towards the Italian car. "So, you've freed me. Now, _que voulez-vous_?"

She merely smirked again."Now you go back to Paris, and act as if nothing happened." At the three-wheeler's bewildered expression, the Alfa Romeo continued."But always remember, you still owe me a favor."

"_Quoi_?" Tomber nearly cried."Then what was the point of freeing me_, princesse_?"

The Alfa Romeo smiled mysteriously once more, "Well you're no use to me if you're in prison, now are you?"

"Touché." The Reliant Regal rolled back slightly, looking over his companion appraisingly, "You know _princesse_, you're to _genre _for your threats to be actually believable."

"That is true," she mused, glancing at the three-wheeler curiously."But they do get the message through, don't they, _monsieur_?"

The Alfa Romeo began to drive back in reverse, before Tomber quickly stopped her. "_Attente_!" The Italian car turned around, eyelid raised, and the three-wheeled car continued."What is your name, _Madame_?"

She answered with a soft smirk."Giulia, _monsieur_. Giulia Carcione."

* * *

_March__é__ aux Pi__é__ces __Paris, France -1992- 1200 Hours~_

"Remind me why we're here again, Giulia?"

The two spy cars drove down the somewhat decrepit street, the windows of rundown buildings alongside them filled with yellowed and broken glass, trash littering the street. Only a few other cars drove down the same road, and their paint was faded and scratched, rust beginning to form in some cases. The Alfa Romeo sighed in response to her boyfriend's question.

"I already told you, we came to meet an old friend of mine." The two cars prepared to turn around another corner, when Giulia called behind her, "And remember, Finn, we didn't come here to go shopping."

The Aston Martin followed his girlfriend with a bewildered expression until they reached the other side of the bend, where he was met with the sight of dozens of vendors selling all sorts of car-parts littering the ground on blankets. Although, their destination seemed to be the large and worn building just ahead, and both cars drove through the narrow lane provided by the vendors, driving into the shabby structure. Inside, there were even more merchants, hundreds of them in fact, all idling at their small stands and calling out to the two spy cars to come buy their wares. It was startlingly similar to the _Les Halles _marketplace_ h_e'd frequented as a boy, torn down in 1971.

So mesmerized by the vibrant stands and rare merchandise, Finn didn't notice the Alfa Romeo in front of him duck behind a series of shops until she had roughly pulled him back by use of her front grapples, sending him in incredulous glance."What happened to all that talk about you 'being able to take in a million things at once and still be able to pay attention'?"

"It's _a lot_ to take in," the Aston Martin grumbled in response, beginning to creep forward, angling his rearview mirrors to see in front of the stand they were hiding behind, before pausing. "You know, the last time I did this, I had a grenade thrown at me."

"Will you just see what's going on over there?" Giulia hissed."It's not my fault I don't have rearview mirrors!"

"You could have bought the ones we saw in Monte Carlo."

"_Finn_!"

"Fine, fine." The British spy car carefully moved his mirrors, a clear image soon appearing once he'd focused it. "There."

"What is it?" the Alfa Romeo inquired." What do you see?"

"A three-wheel car. Navy, small."

Giulia nodded, "That's him. He's the one we came to—"

The navy Reliant Regal turned suddenly, ignoring the potential customer in front of him, and catching sight of a small glint behind a stand. A mirror reflecting sunlight. A mirror that just happened to be pointed towards him.

The three-wheeler turned immediately, driving away at full speed, and Finn instantly shot out from behind the stand, racing after him. "Wait, Finn!"Giulia shouted uselessly, cursing under her breath. This was _not_ how it was supposed to go.

The Italian car raced after the two cars before her, the Reliant Regal in front of them crashing into several crates and stacks of merchandise, making them fall in the spy cars' paths. The Aston Martin seemed dead set on catching the smaller French car, and expertly dodged the boxes and wares thrown at him, his partner doing the same, as well as fruitlessly trying to gain both Finn, and the three-wheeler's attention.

Finn began to gradually near the Reliant Regal, before suddenly veering off to the side, disappearing behind rows of stands. Giulia watched him for a moment before shaking her hood incredulously and driving faster, attempting to call the three-wheeler, only for the Aston Martin to appear again, cutting in front of the French car. Attempting to brake, the Reliant Regal tipped to the side, flipping over and above the British spy car, crashing into a several stacks of barrels and tires set up against a brick wall.

The Aston Martin was instantly in front of the smaller French car, gun already coming out of the side of his fender, when Giulia dove in front of him. "What're you doing?" she cried disbelievingly, Finn reeling back slightly.

"But he—"

"He's the car I came to meet!" the Alfa Romeo interrupted, turning towards the Reliant Regal. "_Mi dispiace tanto, _Tomber!"

The three-wheeler huffed irritably as the Italian car quickly helped him back up, sending her an understanding look,"Eh, it is fine. You can't always control your partners." At this Tomber sent the Aston Martin a quick glare, finally on all three wheels again.

Giulia quickly spoke again, butting in before the two cars beside her could begin fighting," Tomber, we came because I need to know if—"

The Reliant Regal swiftly motioned for her to be silent, glancing around the bazaar, several cars already watching them suspiciously. "Follow me," he quickly ordered, driving off in another direction, and the Alfa Romeo began to follow, only to be stopped by Finn.

"Giulia, what're you doing? We can't trust him," the British car whispered, shifting his gaze towards the navy three-wheeler for a moment before glancing back towards his girlfriend. "He could be leading us into a trap."

"I've known him for nearly six years, Finn," the Alfa Romeo interjected, pushing past her beau, and following Tomber. "I _know_ that we can trust him."

Finn watched as the Italian car drove after the Reliant Regal, sighing heavily. And while it was true that Giulia had excellent instincts, and knew quite well who she could and couldn't trust, the Aston Martin worried nonetheless.

After a moment the British car followed as well, driving quickly in order to catch up with them. He was almost positive that he saw the Alfa Romeo smirk smugly when he drove up next to her, but wasn't entirely sure, instead paying attention to where Tomber was leading them.

In a few minutes they reached a nameless shop, further inside the large bazaar, the three-wheeler looking around warily for an instant before pushing open the door and leading them inside. The interior of the store was stacked to brim with all sorts of auto-parts, most likely bought (or stolen) on the black market. Engines dangled from chains hanging tethered to the ceiling, as well as car doors, hoods, and tire rims, and yet the small French car seemed completely at ease. Or, at least he did until rounding on them, fury plastered across his features. "What were you thinking?" he yelled, accent becoming heavier in anger."You were chasing be through the bazaar, I thought you were _la police!_"

"I'm sorry, Tomber," the Alfa Romeo apologized, swiftly driving in front of Finn before he could begin yelling at the little French car again. "My partner didn't know that you were the car I was going to meet."

"Some partner," Tomber scoffed, met with a glare from the Aston Martin.

"_Please_, Tomber," Giulia interrupted. "Don't blame him. I should've warned him, or at the very least told him what you looked like."

Understanding dawned on the three-wheel's features,"Ah, I understand now. He is your _copain_."

"What?" the Italian car rolled back in surprise."How did you—"

"I may be old—"Tomber's gaze shifted from Giulia to Finn, and back again"—but I'm not blind."

"You're only two years older than me!"

"Nevertheless," the Reliant Regal shrugged."Now, are you going to tell me why you came and nearly gave me engine failure?"

"Well I hardly think that's my fault," Finn interrupted." I wasn't even shooting at you."

"Yes, and I thank you _ever_ so kindly for it," Tomber praised sarcastically, turning towards the Italian car once more. "Do you need more information on Clarissa, or for some sort of spy mission?"

"Clarissa?" the Aston Martin murmured in bewilderment, ignore by his two companions.

"I told you not to call her by name."

"My bad, _princesse."_A pause. "So how's your father?"

"_Tomber_!"

The Reliant Regal only chuckled, as if having heard some sort of inside joke, Giulia nearly fuming by his side, while Finn only looked on in confusion. After a moment, Tomber turned towards the British car, eyelid raised, "What was this _imbécile's _name again?"

The Aston Martin bristled visibly, but answered primly, "Finn McMissile, British Intelligence."

"Aw, how nice. Do you practice that in front of the mirror every morning?"

"You know what—"

"Okay!" Giulia quickly interrupted, driving in front of both cars before a full out brawl could begin. "Perhaps if we just got to know each other better…."

"Peh," Tomber muttered arrogantly, turning up his hood in disdain. "I do not wish to know _cet Anglais._"

"Nor I this _particular _Frenchman."

The Alfa Romeo sighed exasperatedly, rolling her eyes at the cars' antics, before she cocked her hood to the side, apparently intercepting a call over her communicator. With the Italian car's attention diverted, Tomber and Finn resumed their bickering.

"It may surprise you, McMissile, but I've actually been to your country. England: a good land, with irritable people. And you're one of them."

"Tough talk from a car who can't make the slightest turns without _tumbling_ end over end!"

"Your queen looks like a man!"

"ENOUGH!"

The two arguing cars turned towards the Alfa Romeo before them, her eyes narrowed angrily. "You're both acting like petulant children!"

"But he—"

"He's a—"

"I don't care!" Giulia snapped. "You're not even that different!"

"But how—"

"I hate—"

The Italian car raised a tire to silence them, and they immediately quieted. "You both saved my life at some point or another, and in response I've saved your sorry afts more times than I can count. There, friends now?"

There was a moment of silence before Finn spoke, turning towards the French car next to him, "She saved your life?"

"Well…" Tomber fidgeted."I wouldn't say _saved_ exactly…"

"Are you joking?" Giulia snorted."It's because of me that he wasn't locked up in a Moroccan parking lot for five years."

"And you?" the three-wheeler inquired, the Aston Martin sighed heavily, resting on his axels.

"She…took a missile for me…"

"Ah, the irony."

"I am well aware."

There was a slight paused before Tomber turned towards Giulia once more, eyelid raised, "So, is there anything else I can do for you, now that you've interrupted my perfectly good Sunday?"

The Italian car smirked, "I could use that information on Clarissa."

"Very well."

The Reliant Regal glanced towards Finn, cocking his hood to the side, nodding towards the door. The British car instantly understood the gesture, but frowned in confusion for a moment before heading towards the faded entryway, pushing it open and into the crowded bazaar street. Why he had been successfully 'kicked out' he had no idea, but fully intended to find out why. Nearing the door, but not enough to draw attention, the spy car began to listen intently to what was going on inside the shop, only catching small fragments of conversation.

"Does he know?"

There was a pause. "You know very well that he doesn't."

"You'll need to tell him eventually, _princesse._ He's most likely listening to our conversation at this very moment."

Finn instantly bristled, but the two cars inside continued speaking. "I know, Tomber. Do you have the information, or not."

"Of course I do," was the formal answer. There was a shuffle of papers, and silence again for a moment.

"Thank you, Tomber."

"Anything for Clarissa's daughter."

The Aston Martin swiftly drove away from the door, idling a good ways away from the building itself when Giulia eventually came out. She thanked the three-wheeler again before beginning to drive through the busy bazaar roads, Finn hesitating for a moment when Tomber glanced his way.

"You'll figure everything out eventually, McMissile. Until then…just take care of her."

The British spy car nodded somewhat numbly, Giulia coming over to drag him out of the marketplace, although he remained silent as Tomber slowly disappeared into his shop and the Alfa Romeo began talking about Stephenson, and how he was going to meet them somewhere.

Finn's mind remained blank, devoid of anything and everything…except for one thing. Something he hadn't realized until now.

He knew next to nothing about his girlfriend.

* * *

_**Sicuramente-Most definitely**_

_**Grazie-Thank you**_

_**Por favore-please**_

_**~French~**_

_**Hey, trois roues-hey, three wheel**_

_**Que voulez-vous, dispiace tanto-I'm so sorry**_

_**Copain-boyfriend**_

_**Imbécile's-Fool's**_

_**Cet Anglais-this Englishman**_

* * *

__**Tomber (in French) means Tumbling, and so I made Tomber's full name Tomber Rous=Tumbling Wheel. I'm smart, ain't I? **

**And that French word I didn't translate, the one Tomber said when they put him in prison, is a curse word. You are free to translate it on Google translator if you wish. **

**And yes, I believe that Finn and Tomber would've hated each other when they first met. **

**BTW- in the 'actual' version, it was Finn who rescued Tomber from the Moroccan impound lot (or, prison is a better term) but I obviously changed it so that it was Giulia who saved him instead. **

**Now please REVIEW!**

**~Cars 2 (c) PIXAR 2011~**


	6. Chapter 6

_~Tarmac outside SIS Building (MI6 Building) London, England-1993-1100 Hours~ _

"Mr. McMissile!"

The Aston Martin paused, stopping to see if he'd heard right."Mr. McMissile!"

The British spy car turned all the way, followed by Giulia and the AC Frua soon caught up to them. "Oh, hello, Arnold," the Alfa Romeo greeted cordially, Finn nodding by way of greeting.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the Frua quickly apologized, "but the higher-ups need to know if you turned in the mission paperwork yet."

"Yes, just this morning," Finn answered. The younger car sighed in relief.

"Well that just makes my day a whole lot easier. Where are you two going, anyway?" Arnold inquired curiously, "Not another mission, I hope."

"No, we have the day off today,"Giulia responded. "Tomorrow we're going to a Paris for a date."

"Aw, you field agents have all the fun," the young Frua pouted.

"Indeed we do," Finn nodded sagely, only to be smacked on the fender by his girlfriend's tire.

"Are you going anywhere, Arnold?" Giulia inquired politely, turning back towards the Frua.

The dusty brown car shook his hood, "nowhere particularly interesting. I just need to turn in some paperwork, type up some documents and meet some agents from a different embassy in Prague."

"Well, don't let us keep you waiting!"The Aston Martin announced with false cheer. "We'll just be going now." Finn continued on his way across the tarmac, leaving Giulia to smile embarrassingly in Arnold's direction.

"I'll see you later, Arnold," the Alfa Romeo said with an apologetic smile. The mild-mannered Frua didn't seem to mind her partner's rudeness, instead smiling good naturally as the Italian car drove away as well.

* * *

_~Prague, Czech Republic 1993-0200 Hours~_

A dusty brown Frua drove down the empty road, his softly chugging engine being the only distinguishable sound this early in the morning. The windows in all of the homes and shops were dark, and Arnold seemed to be the only living thing there.

_Seemed, _being the key word.

Once the Frua was several hundred feet down the road, three cars appeared out of the gloom. They followed the oblivious agent for some time, at least until he circled a fountain, finally noticing his pursuers. Arnold's first and foremost reaction was flat-out panic, although he quickly reeled it in just in time for one of the cars to ram into his side, sidling up next to him. Another swiftly joined the first on his other side, but as they continued driving he was able to shake them off when tearing through an empty bazaar.

Continuing to speed on by, the three cars were soon joined by two more, and when they attempted to close in on him again, Arnold released a cattle-prod like item from the interior of his hubcap, electrocuting the car that had gotten to close, an Abarth 1600. It was then that the Frua realized he was being chased by Italian cars.

Racing through the dark city streets, engine pounding furiously, and Arnold only a few feet ahead of his pursuers, didn't notice the cars beginning to lead him towards a junk yard. Swiftly smashing through the rusted gates, the Frua began to drive around rampantly, hoping to lose his followers.

But instead, he found something that would haunt him for the rest of his short life.

The young Frua's headlights casted shafts of light onto cars: stacked, crushed, _dead _cars_. _Arnold could no nothing more than shake in fear and horror as the clawed end of a crane came crashing down on top of him, easily picking him up and depositing him soon after…. into the jaws of a car crusher.

Barely even a strangled gasp escaped him, and the top of the hellish machine began to slowly fall with a mechanical sounding whirr. As his roof began to cave in, Arnold watched with clenched teeth and squinted eyes as the cars that had been pursuing him slowly scaled the mountains of scrap metal, stopping on the top and base to watch him. Feeling his windshield crack from the pressure, the Frua let out a small whimper. No emotion was conveyed in the eyes of the Italian cars, and they watched a he was crushed with something parallel to malice in their gaze. After a moment, a car—one Arnold deemed as leader— spoke.

"I can assume that you aren't very comfortable, are you, _inglesi_?" Arnold didn't answer, stead letting out short panicked gasps as the machine continued to squash him. "Well, allow me to let you in on a deal. If you tell me where Giulia Del Tyre is, or will be, I shall free you. If not…"

The jaws of the crusher neared, and one of the Frua's tires popped, only articulating the Italian car's point. And now Arnold allowed himself to panic, unbridled dread filing his very being. More so than before, at least. But he didn't have much time to think, the sound of his metallic body being crushed enough of a wakeup call.

"The clock is ticking, _signore_ Muffler…."

"Alright!" the Frua shouted at last, hearing and feeling two more tires pop. His roof was nearly entirely caved in, although he still managed to gasp,"Th-they'll be in p-Paris!"

It was too dark to tell, but Arnold was sure that the leader smirked. "See, was that so hard?"

The Italian car's henchmen all stood, preparing to leave—their business done. "W-wait, what about me?"Arnold cried desperately, pain nearly rendering him incapable of speech.

"Well, I doubt your friends would want a traitor amongst their ranks, now would they?"

The Frua wasn't even able to gasp in horror as he realized what he'd done. His front bumper was crushed before he could say a single word, and the last thing he saw before the jaws of the car crusher closed completely, was the shadow of an Alfa Romeo Spider.

* * *

~ _Paris, France 1993-2100 hours~_

The city of lights and lovers was positively glowing, every shop, store and restaurant open and teeming with visitors. The main sources of light came from small strung ones, and dimly lit streetlamps.

But the city was also brimming with tourists, the harsh summer heat having given way to a cool breeze. Both Finn and Giulia had attempted to traverse the busy streets, but they were so clogged with tourists that it was nearly impossible. So, instead they drove through the side alleys in order to reach the Eiffel Tower quicker.

"Are you sure this is the right way, Finn?" Giulia queried uncertainly, glancing around the shadowed pathway.

"I'm positive," the Aston martin reassured, continuing to drive down the dark alley."I've been through here dozens of times."

The subject dropped, both cars continue on their way, Finn confident and sure, while Giulia looked around suspiciously. Something wasn't right, she was sure of it...

The silence was broken abruptly, cars racing out of every possible corner, and didn't hesitate for an instant before attacking them. Finn had swiftly attempted to block the Alfa Romeo from their assault, faintly comprehending that this was an ambush, only for someone to ram into his side, forcibly shoving him away from Giulia.

He heard her cry out, whether in shock or pain he didn't know, and soon he was being pummeled from all sides. He had no time to react or collect himself as they rained blow after blow on his sides, hood, and even roof. He heard a gun fire in quick succession, and in an instant all four of his tires were flat. The barrage of attacks never stopped for a moment, and he was punched, slammed into the wall, and worst of all, _electrocuted _until he couldn't see straight.

Opening his eyes one last time, Finn could see a red blur—one he deemed as the Alfa Romeo—before a tazer of some sort was jabbed into his grill. His body convulsed, and last thing he heard before the world faded to black, was Giulia sobbing his name.

* * *

_**Wow. Dramatic. As for the entire scene in Prague, it was entirely based on a deleted storyboard of the movie-shown in the Art of Cars 2 on page 127- where a British agent was taken by a (deleted) bad guy and questioned while slowly squashed in the jaws of a car crusher. It has some VERY intense pictures. **_

_**And Arnold was a 1971 Frua, if anyone wanted to know.**_

_**~R.I.P Arnold Muffler~**_

_**~Cars 2 (C) PIXAR 2011~**_

_**~Plot (c) Funkywatermelon~  
Now please review!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_~Outskirts of Palermo, Sicily -1993- 0000 Hours~_

"Ah, _figlia, _it's been too long."

Giulia's only response was a glare that could have melted iron, although pain was evident in her features as well. The room she'd been imprisoned in was unlocked, so that the Alfa Romeo Spider could observe his daughter while he spoke. "Why the long face, Giulia?" Acrisio continued, his hood cocked to the side in what would have been a comforting gesture, if it weren't for malice in his eyes. "Do you miss your _amici?_" the Spider sneered. "You know, the ones you were supposed to get us information on?"

The younger Alfa Romeo's glare never ceased. Acrisio smirked, gathering himself up, "Or do you miss that _inglesi_ trash we found you with?"

This elicited a reaction from his daughter, as the Spider had planned, and Giulia's fierce look faltered momentarily. Malicious smirk only growing, Acrisio continued," Ah yes, he was your partner, _é corretto?"_

Giulia's eyes widened slightly, pain clearly reflected in her expression before apprehension settled in, anxiously awaiting what her father would say next. Acrisio did not disappoint.

"You threw your lot in with them, the _inglesi, _the very ones you were supposed to help bring down…explain that to me, _figlia. _Your life, your very _purpose _is centered here with us, and yet you fully immersed yourself into their heinous culture, acted as one of them, befriended _dozens _of them, especially that _idiota _McMissile….and betrayed us."

"You deserve to be betrayed," Giulia hissed."I never wanted any part in this. You forced me to join the MI6, and because of that I was able to escape from you….for some time at least."

"_Sí, sí, naturalmente,_" Acrisio said, waving it away dismissively, before locking eyes with his daughter once more. "But tell me, _figlia, _why _did_ you throw your lot in with them?" as an afterthought, he added. "With McMissile?"

Clearly weighing the odds for a moment, Giulia glanced around indecisively, before drawing herself up and looking her father straight in the eyes, "Because I love him, _padre."_

"_Pff, amore?_" Acrisio snorted, before shaking his hood to compose himself. "Well I'm terribly sorry, _mia figlia, _but besides the fact that you'll hardly leave this bunker, you will never see '_il tuo amore' _ever again."

"And why's that?" the Italian spy car inquired slowly. The Spider jerked his hood in one of his henchman's' direction, and the Abarth 1600 pulled a faded sack out of nowhere, pitching it onto the ground before Giulia's tires.

"Because your _fidanzato _is no more."

Something made a loud clattering sound inside the bag as it fell, the younger Alfa Romeo cautiously rolling up to it, and after a few moments of prodding a detached rearview mirror rolled out. A _very _familiar mirror, if the 'FMCM' engraved on it meant anything. There were also a few pieces of broken glass, from a headlight it seemed. It was in that instant that Giulia realized what lay before her.

She rolled back in horror, lips moving soundlessly, and Acrisio nodded, informing her unemotionally, "it is true, Giulia. This 'Finn McMissile' is dead."

"I don't believe you," She muttered, brushing a tire against the rearview mirror she'd grown so used to seeing.

"I have no reason to lie to you, _figlia,"_ The Spider said, shaking his cab with something _almost_ akin to sadness. "So much like what happened to your mother…"

Gaze rising, Giulia looked up at her father with a mixed expression, wonder and fear present in her features,"W-why, what happened to her?"

Acrisio glanced at his daughter, smirking slightly when he saw that he had her full attention, the younger Alfa Romeo trying deftly not to look down at the mangled pieces of metal and glass beneath her. "I was around your age when I first met her. She was beautiful, a bright red Jaguar, and singer on top of that. You could say that it was love at first sight, or at least it was for me."

The Italian spy car's eyes widened and she bit her bumper in her anxiousness, gaze beginning to slip, glancing down at the rearview mirror and glass before her. Her father continued, drawing Giulia's attention once more, "we soon became married, and before long you were born. I was still the head of the clan, my father long dead for several years already, and yet Clarissa had no idea of my less…_respectable_ endeavors. Well, that all changed one day. "

The Spider's expression darkened and Giulia backed up slightly in fear. His henchmen also seemed nervous. "_Un giorno, _I discovered that your mother was having an affair with one of my men…and so, in response, I killed him."

Several of the cars behind Acrisio flinched, the younger Alfa Romeo's eyes widening to the size of hubcaps. And yet, the Spider went on. "When Clarissa found out, she was devastated. I interrogated her to make sure that you were indeed mine, before giving her two choices. She could either stay with me, here with all of us—I couldn't exactly just let her go, she could tell _la polizia_ about our various warehouses and such—plus, I do enjoy leaving them oblivious— or she could die like her lover had…" Acrisio gestured to his side, vacant and empty."I think you can guess which one she chose."

The cars around the Spider chuckled, although Giulia's expression conveyed only horror. "Y-you killed your own w-wife?" she whispered in revulsion. Acrisio turned towards her, gaze unemotional.

"And you should take care as to not to end up like her," The elder Alfa Romeo glanced down at the contorted mirror by his daughter's tires. "Or McMissile."

With that, Acrisio turned on his heel, henchmen following as he left his daughter behind, allowing her to cry in peace.

* * *

_~Parisian Alleyways -2300 Hours- Previous Day~_

_Chrysler_, where was he?

Leland had simply been idling at home, watching a movie with his wife when he'd received a call from Finn. The sports coupe had patched him through, but the Aston Martin sounded, well…god-awful, to put it mildly. Almost like when he'd become drunk at a party after two drinks, and the following day had spoken as if there was a fourteen inch nail cleaved through his roof.

He had given Leland an address, one he recognized from Paris, before the line went dead. The last thing Finn told him had been 'bring guns'.

And so, he and Adele(after telling his wife what exactly happened) had instantly called Siddeley, and the jet met them a few miles away from their home, immediately flying towards Paris, flight laws be damned. They'd landed a few blocks away from the Eiffel Tower, which was close to where Finn was supposedly located. Both cars had searched feverishly through the dark alleys, after seeing that the streets were too crowded, and the Aston Martin would've surely been found easily there.

The pathways were dark, dank and shadowy, Leland cursing his friend for coming this way. He put not only himself at risk, but Giulia as well—

Giulia.

Calling the teal Citroen over the radio, Leland told her to keep an eye out for the Alfa Romeo as well. Who knew what could've happened to them….

As he neared the specific street a few minutes later, the sports coupe called Adele one more, telling her to rendezvous at his current position. Once they were together, both cars drove down the alley, shining their headlights onto the walls around them. Their search came up fruitless until Leland's beam landed on a silvery blue fender, and Adele gasped aloud, rolling back in shock.

The Aston Martin was leaning against the wall, all four tires blown—by bullets, Leland noted—his sides, hood, and even roof incredibly dented, deep indentations running across the spy car's chassis, almost as if he'd been _rammed into_ dozens of times. He had a busted headlight, missing rearview mirror, and was obviously unconscious.

Leland blurted the first thing that came to mind. "Bloody hell."

* * *

_**Figlia-daughter **_

_**Amici-friends**_

_**E corretto?-correct?**_

_**Idiota-idiot**_

_**Si, si, Naturalmente-Yes, yes, of course**_

_**Amore?-love**_

_**Mia figlia-my daughter**_

_**Il tuo amore-your love**_

_**Fidanzato-boyfriend**_

_**Un giorno-one day**_

_**La polizia-the police**_

* * *

__**And so the drama truly begins...**

**Please review!**

**~Cars 2 characters (c) PIXAR 2011~**

**~Plot (c) Funkywatermelon~**


	8. Chapter 8

_**...Angst galore...**_

_~Bowels of the SIS Building—C.H.R.O.M.E. Level— London, England -1993-2100 Hours~_

"What do you mean that you've stopped searching for her?"

Finn was nearly glaring at the heads of C.H.R.O.M.E., a dangerous position to be in, eyes narrowed furiously. "We're sorry, McMissile," an old navy AC Ace sighed."But it's been two months."

"She's technically MIA now," another elder car spoke up, a black Allard Palm Beach, fidgeting slightly under the Aston Martin's pointed glare. "We have enough on our plate as it is. The entire Carcione clan had gone underground, and while Miss Del Tyre's predicament is unfortunate…we have to set the stakes a little higher."

Finn shifted his gaze to the empty space where his right mirror used to be; now a cracked and dented hole all that remained. "I understand…" he said slowly, turning to look up at the older cars once more. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop searching."

"Yes, we understand that," the AC ACE sighed again."Although you cannot become fixated on this, McMissile. You can't throw away three years of espionage—you being one of our finest agents—simply because your partner had vanished."

Another car spoke up, a forest green Bristol 403 with a thick Scottish accent, "And we know that you were attached ta' the lass. But even so, you need ta' buck up an' take it like a man. You'll be assigned a new partner in the AM."

"If I may," Finn quickly interrupted."I don't _want _to have another partner. Siddeley and I are enough."

"You wish to work alone?" the AC ACE inquired quizzically.

"Yes. If that's alright." By the Aston Martin's expression, it was clear that he wouldn't take their refusal for an answer, and would work unaccompanied no matter what the verdict was.

"Er…very well, McMissile. You're dismissed."

The Aston Martin nodded curtly, silently exiting the spacious board room. On the other side of the doors, Leland Turbo and his wife Adele waited for him. As soon as the heavy wooden doors closed behind him, Finn's unemotional expression instantly melted into one of rage.

"What is it, what'd they say?" the Jaguar immediately inquired, he and the Citroen on either side of the Aston Martin as they drove away from the board room.

"They've stopped looking for her," Finn managed to ground out, furious gaze seeming to burn a hole through anything and anyone that crossed his path. Cars instantly drove out his way upon seeing his expression.

"_What?"_ Adele demanded, her accent becoming more pronounced in rage. "Zey cannot do zat!"

"They actually can, 'Dell," Leland muttered. "They're the near equivalent of a board of directors in this bloody facility."

"But _still_!"The Citroen turned towards the fuming Aston Martin, and quickly reassuring him. "Do not worry, Finn, we're going to help you find 'er."

"I appreciate that," the silvery blue spy car told her sincerely, "but I don't need your help."

"Wha—Finn, you ruddy—of course you need our help!" Leland cried indignantly, only for his wife to silence him. All three cars stopped, having reached the end of the hallway, Finn pushing the button for the elevator before turning towards his companions once more.

"I will say this once more. I don't _require_ any help. I will find Giulia myself, and bring her back." The Aston Martin heaved an exhausted sigh, and after a moment the elevator dinged.

Finn drove into the lift before addressing the two cars once more."A few years ago, a friend told me to take care of her, and I plan on doing so. Alone."

The elevator doors closed with a final whir, descending at long last.

* * *

_~C.H.R.O.M.E. Level, SIS Building -1994- Seven months later- 0200 Hours~_

The MI6 edifice was silent, all field and technical agents alike long gone. A lone Aston Martin traversed the empty hallways, the faint glow of the fluorescent lights reflecting off of his silvery blue paint. His engine was nearly silent, tires hardly making a sound on the polished linoleum.

After a few minutes of wandering, he made his way towards a large window, filled with thick, bullet proof glass, (like nearly every other window in the large government facility) looking out onto the dark tarmac below. He sighed heavily, eyelids drooping slightly in exhaustion and grief.

"You look like crap, old man."

The Aston Martin wasn't startled by the sudden voice, instead answering with a derisive snort as he turned, "I suppose so. From a reasonable distance at least."

The car behind him drove out of the shadows, revealed to be a deep, navy blue Dodge Challenger and Mustang mix. The American's expression quickly softened. "I heard about what happened, Finn. I'm sorry."

There was a moment of silence."I don't need your sympathy, Rod." The elder spy car paused. "What're you doing here, anyway?" Finn glanced towards the American spy; an eyelid raised idly, "I heard you became engaged a few days ago. You traveled thousands of miles just to see if an old spy car was alright, when you should be with your family."

"So should you."

The Aston Martin chuckled dryly, "I don't _have_ family."

"You used to," Rod stated plainly. Finn barely glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye before turning to look at the tarmac once more. "McMissile, you need to take a break."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

The Challenger/Mustang rode forward, taking in the British car's fatigued posture and bloodshot eyes, "You're overworking yourself, Finn. You can't find your girlfriend if your half-dead."

"I'm not going to find her anyway!" the Aston Martin snapped, before sighing heavily, averting his gaze. "The higher-ups already stopped looking for her…and…I…I _can't _find her…."

Drawing himself up, Rod spoke again, "That doesn't mean you can just give up. Now those guys that took your girl—we don't know _why _they took her—so we can only assume that they still need her alive. And as long as she's alive, there's hope of finding her."

Finn remained silent for some time, before finally nodding in agreement, "You're right…and besides, Siddeley would never forgive me if I gave up looking for her."

* * *

At times, realization would hit him harder than usual.

Finn would be inside Siddeley, at the agency, or even on a mission, when he would feel like someone had punched him directly in the engine block, comprehension would sink in, and he would realize that Giulia was gone, probably forever, and he had no plausible way of finding her.

No link, no means of tracing her—nothing. Not even an inside source to harass.

Finn was on his own, and there was no way he would _ever _be able to find her without the agency's resources. He might've been the highly esteemed Finn McMissile, but he was still just one car, in a world of millions.

Siddeley would ask if he was alright (quite an idiotic question, from Aston Martin's point of view) and time and time again he would answer with a 'perfectly fine'. Possible one of the largest lies he'd ever told anyone—including himself.

The Aston Martin had very nearly lost all contact with Leland, who'd been able to take leave from the agency once he discovered that Adele was pregnant, and could be a possible (vulnerable) target now. The sports coupe had begun on missions again once his two children were born—twin girls, or so he'd heard, Leland still quite furious with him.

And so Finn remained veritably alone.

Rod and Siddeley had attempted to help in the beginning, but the American had his own problems in the states, and the jet simply didn't know any more than the Aston Martin.

Although, once learning what had happened to his partner, several others agents, and even some higher-ups, had come to express their condolences, Finn expecting them all stonily. Any slip, any sentiment, and the carefully constructed unemotional mask would shatter.

But at times a crack would appear.

There was a service held at a local cemetery for a technical department agent, one that Finn just happened to know. It seemed that Arnold Muffler had been crushed, and judging by the small autopsy done, not even a day before Giulia was taken.

And Finn wasn't one to believe in coincidences.

Even so, he found no evidence tying the two events together. He and the Alfa Romeo were the last to speak with the late Frua, and had most likely been crushed because he'd (quite obviously) known something. And yet there was no definite proof.

Dead end after dead end, and soon five years had come and gone. He and Siddeley tried their hardest, the Aston Martin expertly masking his disappointment every time a trail went cold, or an inside-man was lost. Just another pointless search.

Finn wasn't made of steel, metaphorically at least. He might've been a secret agent, one of the best in the agency, but well it all came down to it, he still had a heart (metaphorically once more). And at times it would bleed.

* * *

**A/N: Told 'ya there'd be angst...**

**And yes, that was the now-deceased Rod Redline who made an appearance in this chapter. In the movie, I distinctly remember him calling Finn by name, and back then (in this story) he was in his early twenties (supposedly hired to the CIA after the Cold War-1991) –around 24. **

**Sorry it took so long to update, I had writer's block, over-all laziness, and school just started. I'll update as soon as I can, but reviews would certainly help!**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Alfa and Omega**_

**_~Series of vignettes spanning throughout the movie~_**

A pixeled recording began to slowly activate, the screen flickering momentarily before finally coming to life, grainy footage quickly taking form. A blood red Jaguar E-Type backed away from the camera to speak. _"This is agent Leland Turbo; I have a flash transmission for agent Finn McMissile. My cover's been compromised_," Leland blinked a few times, as if suddenly coming to grips with the severity of his situation. "_Everything's gone pear-shaped—you won't believe what I found out here_!"

The Jaguar shifted the camera towards a circular window just to the right of him, shaped almost like a porthole, an unearthly orange light casting through the glass."_This is bigger than anything we've ever seen, and no one even knows it exists_," Leland turned the recording device towards him again and rolled back.

_"I know we've had our differences, McMissile, but this is serious. Finn, I need backup_," he began, glancing off-screen for an instant, and the recording flickered. "_But don't call the cavalry, it could blow the operation. And be careful!"_ he warned, iris orbs narrowing, "_It's not safe out here."_

There was a sudden shout from off-screen, and Leland turned fully towards the sound, glancing back towards the camera for a moment. "_Transmitting my coordinates now_." Driving off, the Jaguar disappeared, recording device falling sideways, an intense light from a large entrance several feet away falling into the dark cargo room. Small letters and numbers filled the space at the bottom of the screen, and Leland shouted a last "_good luck!"_ before racing off-screen altogether, the shadows of two different cars filling the space instead.

* * *

_18 Years since kidnapping-2300 Hours- Unknown area of Pacific Ocean_

_~Latitude: 40__º 6.80' N – Longitude: 172º 23.84' W~_

The luminescent spotlight from a small white fishing boat lit the murky ocean waters with an almost greenish hue, the night sky black as pitch above him as the ship coasted through the waves, salt water lapping loudly against his hull. Light blue eyes scanned over the freezing waters surrounding him, his sonar beeping rhythmically and rose above a wave before glancing down at his nautical compass, finally speaking. "Alright, buddy, we're here." Another wave crashed into his bow, but the boat continued."Right where you paid me to bring you. Question is, why?"

On the deck, under a stack of grey cages stood a silvery blue Aston Martin, and the spy car rolled into the light, casting a faint glow over his body as his keen aqua colored eyes narrowed."I'm looking for a car."

"A car? Ha!" Crabby scoffed, yet another wave breaking against his hull. "Hey pal, you can't get any further away from land than out here."

"Exactly where I want to be," the British car affirmed, he too looking over the dark waters.

"Well I got news for ya', buddy, there's nobody out here but us."

Before the spy car could say another word, a loud horn suddenly filled the night air, shattering the silence that had veiled the ocean only mere moments before, and a bright searchlight fell upon the tiny vessel, the Aston Martin quickly reversing into his hiding place once more.

* * *

Hanging onto the side of the combat ship, nothing but grappling hooks holding him above the unforgiving, icy waters of the Pacific, Finn didn't have much time for second thoughts. His long time friend and comrade could very well be in serious danger, and this was no time to get cold tires, even if he hadn't spoken with said comrade in over a decade.

As the ship continued on his way, leaving the small fishing boat in his frothy wake, the Aston Martin perched on the stern noticed what seemed to resemble flames hovering several hundred feet above the dark ocean waters. The vessel passed under one of these, the blaze dancing almost grimly across his paint, and suddenly, an enormous oil rig was revealed as the lights flickered on, one by one on each level. A searchlight fell upon the massive vessel, and Finn ducked down to not be seen.

Once the ship was close enough to the huge iron masts holding up the derrick, the spy car shot a front grapple, hooking onto a guardrail several dozen feet up, and swung onto the large metal support beam. Upon impact, the magnetic covering over his tires was quickly deployed, and he released his grapple to begin driving up the side of the beam, the combat ship having been picked up by a colossal tether, and was lifted at relatively the same speed the vehicle drove. Finn continued on his trek up the beam, and the sheer verticality of the rig quickly became evident—the topmost corners of the derrick easily reaching heights of over a thousand feet.

As he drove, the Aston Martin noticed the far off flames in the distance erupt in light as well, revealing dozens of oil rigs spread out across the ocean's surface. Eyes widening, Finn changed his course, turning to drive up the side of the iron support.

In a few minutes he reached one of the rig's lower levels, cautiously scanning his surroundings as he drove. The spy car could hear the droning, meshed together sound of voices, and carefully rolled between two crates, out of anyone's immediate line of sight.

Once the Aston Martin was certain that his position was secure, he swiftly activated his communicator. "Finn McMissile to Leland Turbo, I'm at the coordinates you sent me." The British car was met with the chilling sound of static. A worried frown crossed his grill, and the silvery blue car spoke into his communicator again. "Leland, its Finn. Please respond."

He received only static once more.

* * *

It took Finn several seconds to reach the water, and through his decent, the sheer magnitude of what had just occurred had to yet to sink in. Only when he finally broke the surface, icy water quickly surrounding him, did reality rear its ugly head. Leland was dead—crushed into a bloody cube. And the Aston Martin was sure that the mental image of his friend's compacted form would haunt him for the rest of his life. He would certain that the shock would never fade either. But he had a job to do, and though this entire train of thought had taken less than a few seconds, he was able to push the thoughts away—for the time being—and leapt out of the water, cruising swiftly over the waves in hydrofoil mode.

Gunshots of the highest caliber pocketed the waters alongside him, and he heard the distinct shouts of his pursuers as they continued to shoot at him. Swerving to avoid the projectiles, Finn could hear the combat ships behind him firing something…._far_ larger. Angling his rearview mirror to see behind him, the spy car quickly caught sight of the torpedo heading his way. Deactivating his hydrofoil mode in a matter of seconds, the Aston Martin plunged into the icy waters once more. A trail of oil followed him down, drifting up towards the surface, and after a moment of silent realization, he opened his eyes with smug glance upwards. Activating his submarine mode, tires converting into veritable propellers, he released a series of decoy tires, allowing them to float up to the surface—as if the missile had destroyed him.

But instead of the usual pride that came with a mission well done, all the Aston Martin felt was a mind-numbing guilt. That, and the fact that Giulia would've killed him if she saw him faking his death again….

* * *

Finn seemed….content.

This simple enough fact was nearly enough to send the spy jet into a bewildered tailspin. Siddeley hadn't seen his long-time comrade in arms even crack a simple smile in months—he'd always been rather…reserved during the summer, but now the spy car was lively and joking once more. The only possible explanation for this anomaly had to be the two new cars in his cabin.

'Mater', as the rusted tow truck referred to himself, was lighthearted and easy-going, with a seemingly infinite knowledge of all things car-parts related, and seemed to put the elder spy car at ease….somehow. Now Siddeley didn't know if the American was playing a part, or if really was this benevolent, but it helped nonetheless.

But the car that made the most impact, was Holley Shiftwell.

The spy jet hadn't seen the Aston Martin…react very well when the Agency decided to assign him a partner (against his direct wishes) and the new colleague was usually gone within a week, at most. But this young spy car, fresh out of the Academy and extremely technically savvy, was the first partner—in years—that Finn had truly gotten along with. The younger car brought out a more fatherly side of the Aston Martin that Siddeley hadn't seen in over a decade. And Siddeley wasn't sure if the reason for Finn's changed personality was the fact that the Jaguar reminded him—somewhat distantly—of the missing Alfa Romeo, but whatever it was, the spy jet was thankful for it.

It was a welcome change, to say the least.

* * *

Finn had been attempting to avoid Paris for the last five years or so, give or take, but today's visit could not be evaded. Siddeley had dropped them off on the outskirts of the city, and from there began their drive to the bazaar. To his chagrin, the Aston Martin found himself leading his two companions on the same journey he and Giulia always took, passing several iconic landmarks holding memories he'd rather not remember.

They passed by the Pont des Arts, where Finn was certain he spotted his and Giulia's padlock on the railing*, and a couple had been kissing on the famed bridge, the spy car trying his hardest to ignore them. Mater had no such qualms, however. They made their way past the Louvre, where the Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo had spent hours idling in the old museum, side by side as they looked over countless paintings. But driving past the Eiffel Tower had been the worst.

Finn had tried his hardest not to look over at the iron tower, but failed to hide a smirk as they drove past a mime.

As the neared the large bazaar, the Aston Martin felt an inexplicable sense of déjà when driving down the decrepit street, the road and surrounding buildings far more rundown than he remembered. Calling behind him with a smirk, Finn warned Mater about not having come to go shopping.

The multiple shops and stands had taken a different variation of beatings over the years, the vehicles selling various auto parts in different stages of disrepair having become rusted and dented. The tow truck had swiftly forgone the elder spy car's warning, looking curiously over the various wares.

Continuing on their way through the bazaar, Finn spotted a familiar Reliant Regal. But before he could stop his American companion, Mater had caught the French car's attention. Instantly racing away, and the sense of déjà vu only thickening as Holley gave chase, followed by the Aston Martin and lastly Mater, as they wove through the marketplace.

Holley had soon driven off, but the elder spy car hadn't paid much head, instead avoiding falling crates and wooden boards. He found his partner again just as attempted to cut Tomber off, and the Reliant Regal tried to brake at the last minute—Finn instantly knew what would happen next—and fell to the side, flipping above and over the Jaguar.

Holley grimaced as the French car flew over her roof, before crashing into a small shop filled with tires. The younger spy car had then turned on the three-wheeler, who had been attempting to ram into her, and released her electro-shock device, tazing him before he could do so. Finn had been left to stop her, demanding what in the world she thought she was doing. Good Ford, it felt as if he was reliving everything all over again…

After briefly lecturing his partner, the Aston Martin had Mater—who had barely caught up to them—tow the Reliant Regal to small warehouse, and the tow truck did so without question, Tomber crying out French obscenities all the way.

Upon his release, the three-wheeler began reprimanding them all, although the elder British car was able to calm him down sufficiently for the moment. And while Tomber seemed to be fond of mater, he didn't quite take a shine to the younger spy car…

"_Peh_," the Reliant Regal muttered scornfully. "_She acts just like you. But younger_."

The two older cars spoke in Italian, one of the only languages Holley hadn't thought to learn, and that Mater didn't seem to understand a word of.

"_Indeed_," Finn remarked, glancing over at his partner. Mater had shifted his bewildered gaze towards the Jaguar, and was currently conversing with her over…something.

The three-wheeler's next words tore him out of his reverie. _"What, was Giulia not good enough for you?" _

The Aston Martin's piercing glare was enough of an answer, but he spoke through gritted teeth nevertheless, trying not to draw the attention of his other two companions. "_You know as well as I do how that's untrue. Holley could never replace Giulia, but she is a good agent nonetheless_."

Tomber regarded him carefully, before breaking into a proud smirk, _"just checking. But remember, you're not the only who wants Giulia back safe and sound. I'll kick your aft if you even think of giving up."_

Finn looked over his much smaller companion for a moment—an amused smirk making its way onto his grill—before switching back to heavily accented English. "I would love to see you try."

The three-wheeler huffed exasperatedly for a moment, before drawing himself up. "Well, if that's all you need, I bid you _adieu, _Mr. McMissile. I believe you have a train to catch, no?"

* * *

***'There's a longstanding Pont des Arts custom wherein couples attach a padlock to the railing and throw the key into the river, sealing their love forever. If you look closely at the Pont de Arts in Cars 2, you can indeed see padlocks on the railing.'* **_**Excerpt from /go Cars 2**_

**Couples as also 'supposedly' supposed to kiss when they cross the bridge—as you can see, this is demonstrated in the movie. **

**I have a picture up on deviantart of the aforementioned scene, and you can see the padlocks on the railing if you look closely. My username's **_**ant5b**_

_**And yes, I'm well aware that I this chapter is cut kind of short. I just wanted to go through some of the more important scenes in the movie, and the next chapter will be the other half...You would not BELIEVE how flippin' long it took to write this..I had to do a TON of research, but I think it was worth it**_

_**And I apologize for any spelling mistakes, but it's 6 in the morning, and I'm half asleep**_

_**~Cars 2 (c) PIXAR 2011~**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Alfa and Omega **_

_~Italy, 2011-1500 Hours~_

Racing through the winding streets of Porto Corsa, Finn couldn't help but wish that he wasn't in the city at all. Throwing an "_adatt__é__!" _behind him as he fishtailed over the cobblestone road, straightening before gunning his engine one more, attempting to force back the flood of memories .

He didn't know what it was about this mission that brought back to many painful memories—perhaps it was the fault of his two new partners, or maybe the blame was laid on him. Finn had attempted to put all of those recollections behind him, locked in the back of his mind, always lingering. But returning to all of the cities he used to frequent, the memories he had tried so hard to suppress had surfaced once more.

Bursting forth like a dam, he had been flooded by painful images the moment he stepped foot in Porto Corsa. Taking a stroll down a particular street, Giulia knocking a random street mime unconscious outside a certain shop…and warning his new partners of the dangers relationships provided in their line of work, attempting to keep the bitterness out of his voice as he did so….these memories and more plagued him savagely, the guilt eating away at his very core.

But he'd be damned if they put this mission in jeopardy.

Braking suddenly, the Aston Martin surveyed his surroundings. The Lemons' weapon was currently situated on the top of a building on the other side of the city, and the only thing between him and them being several hundred tiled buildings. And so, leaping off of the road, Finn began driving over the rooftops, burnt orange tiles clattering under his tires. Hitting the ground again with a thud, he revved his engine once more, the Aston Martin sped over a long stretch of road, fishtailing over a turn once more, startling several other drivers.

Speeding through the slim Italian streets, having to avoid the cars around him, Finn caught sight of the building where the Lemons were stationed. Turning sharply around another corner, the spy car raced into a narrow alley, forced a smaller to car to quickly press itself against a wall, in order to avoid a collision.

Bounding off of the road once more, poised on another tiled rooftop, the Aston Martin had his eyes trained on the tall, pillar-like building, less than thirty feet away, and gunned his engine as silently as he could, ignoring the feeling growing in the pit of his tank, that something was very, _very_ wrong.

Stealing himself, he raced off of another building, rapidly nearing the Lemons. The one thing he hadn't expected was the large magnet that had been positioned perfectly over him.

* * *

_~London, England 1300 Hours~_

Speeding through the crowded streets of London, Finn McMissile couldn't help but growl in annoyance at the small Janus Zündapp he was pursuing, the miniature Lemon doing everything in his power to cut off the spy car, whether it be driving into the path of enormous double-decker buses or taxis. But the Aston Martin would not be so easily deterred, and followed the professor through the clogged roads and side alleys, until the Zündapp thought he'd lost him.

Driving under a low overpass, Finn trailed behind the Lemon as they quickly neared Tyre Bridge, where the large combat ship from before was stationed in the water, calling for the professor to hurry.

Revving his engine, the Aston Martin quickly released his front grapples when he was in range, hooking onto Zündapp's back bumper. The Lemon gave a startled cry, and Finn began hauling him backwards, only for a sudden shift causing the spy car to be suddenly pulled _forward_. Glancing upward, he noticed the large magnetic device affixed to the ship, dragging both cars towards him.

Tires squealing with smoke rising from beneath the rubber, the Aston Martin attempted to escape, and in his haste, tried to release his missiles, only for all of them to be wrenched out of his headlight and stuck to the magnet, along with his guns. The Zündapp in front of him cackled madly, "so this is how the infamous Finn McMissile meets his end…so fitting. If only your old partner was here to see it…Giulia, wasn't it?"

A growl erupting from his throat, the spy car's engine whirred even louder in his anger, brakes squealing audibly. "What do you know about her?" he demanded, attempting to pull back his grapples.

The Lemon only gave a spiteful chuckle, "I truly doubt you are in any position to give orders…."

It was then that Finn noticed the missile battery the combat was now aiming towards him. Cursing lowly under his breath, the Aston Martin narrowly dodged the first missile shot his way. The concrete at his side instantly erupted, spraying him with various chunks and pieces. The malicious look in the ship's steely gaze only grew as a another projectile was launched, Finn barely able to leap out of the way in time as the missile destroyed another section of road, the spy car giving a cry of pain and shock when the flames licked at his sides.

"Give it up, McMissile!" the Janus snapped, Finn's attempts at braking going uheeded."You don't have the Alfa Romeo to protect you any longer!"

The Aston Martin bit back a scathing retort, instead struck with an idea as the magnet continued pulling him forward, the missile battery still carefully aimed on his hood.

Shifting his tires so that they were sideways, the spy car released dozens of miniature bombs from within both hubcaps, the small, beeping projectiles joining the rest of his weapons on the giant magnet. The combat ship barely had time to react before an enormous explosion over took him, the very ground shuddering from the impact.

* * *

_~Underground Bunker-Outskirts of Sicily-2000 Hours~_

"_The specifics of this dauntless disclose are still unknown, but the fact remains that the car once thought to be the benevolent host and sponsor of the World Grand Prix, actually set up the entire race in order to affirm that everyone continued using normal gasoline, by harming the racers using his supposed alternative fuel, Allinol," _the Daimler Sovereign serving as reporter was displayed on the small television screen, Buckingham Palace visible in the background as the British car spoke. Several police cars could be seen in the surroundings, as well as several other reporters from all around the world.

"_This revelation would have gone wholly unnoticed and Axelrod's plan would've certainly succeeded, if it weren't for the brave actions and detective skills of the American tow truck, Tow Mater, and this chivalrous act didn't go unheeded— it has just been announced that he will he knighted in only a few days time. But he didn't act alone, and two others were working with the tow truck to discover this conspiracy. This pair of agents from an unknown branch of the MI6 were Tow Mater's partners, although their names and descriptions have been undisclosed. We can only thank them for their gallant actions, and hope that they will be there for us when we need them once more. This is Max Turnsignal, signing off." _

The television set powered down, the screen flickering for a second more before going dark altogether. In the dim confines of the room, a small window could be seen along the wall, allowing faint moonlight to enter, wind whistling against the very building. The sounds of voices could be heard from further inside, boisterous laughter and snapped orders alike, intermixed with the echo of several television sets. And in the shadows, an Alfa Romeo smiled softly.

* * *

**_A/N: Haha, I finally updated! Wow...it's six in the morning...oh well. _**

**_Yep, so that's the end of 'going through the movie' thing I was doing...so...review!_**

**_Please?_**

**_Oh, and before I forget, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed so far! Your encouragement is a great help!_**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Alfa and Omega **_

The supposed 'underground bunker' was rather lively on the inside for a place that was meant to remain undetectable. On the exterior, it resembled a partially sunken building, the years of rain and salt water from the ocean's edge weathering down the cold, grey stone that made up the structure, the building only a few dozen feet away from the shoreline, but it was actually cleverly disguised, the base of the structure traveling directly underground. When Acrisio Carcione needed a safe house, he would _get _a safe house.

In the bowels of this seemingly rundown edifice, where the living quarters for the Spider's henchmen resided, a candy apple red Alfa Romeo made her way through the winding hallways. She had been able to studiously avoid her father's more drunken workers, most having just returning from a 'night on the town' in which they had journeyed to the nearest village, around ten miles away, and had returned in an inebriated stupor. And while the Italian car was well aware of the fact that she could easily knock any of them unconscious if they even _attempted_ to get near her, she simply didn't want the hassle. Although most of her father's henchmen usually stood clear of her…but now that she thought of it, her father had also been absent for most of the day…not that it wasn't a good thing, of course.

After a few more minutes of silent wandering, and not having found the car she was looking for, the Alfa Romeo resigned herself to returning to her room, (thankfully) apart from any of the men's. Acrisio had _that_ much sense, at the very least.

Having finally reached her quarters, the Alfa Romeo looked around the small space she'd resided in for a majority of eighteen years, before sighing heavily, resting low on her axles. She felt like a child, sent to her room….

"Eh, _ciao. _I'm-a not intruding, am I?"

The Alfa Romeo turned to meet the gaze of a familiar pair of aqua eyes. "Oh, Miguel," she started, rolling backwards and gesturing for the younger car to enter. "No, no, _va bene, _come in."

The silver Alfa Romeo 8C Competzione cautiously rolled in, glancing anxiously around the room, "you don't-a have some someone over, do you?"

Giulia's withering look answered the younger car's question. Miguel blushed,"ah, _scusa._"

The elder Alfa Romeo waved his embarrassment away with a tire,"eh, _non pensarci pi__ú__—_forget about it." Giulia looked over the younger car for a moment, eyelid raised. "Now, did you bring me the incense from town?"

"_Naturalmente,_" the Competizione scoffed, not noticing the elder car's sudden flinch at his words, a pained look appearing in her blue-grey eyes, before he handed her a long and thin paper package. "They didn't have-a lavender, but I was able to find jasmine and-a rosemary."

"_Perfetto,_" Giulia smiled, taking the offered package and drove over to her desk, where a cradle for the incense could be clearly seen. Beginning to insert the thin, wooden stick, the Competizione glanced around her, scuffing a tire into the concrete uneasily.

"Um…"he began, Giulia having succeeded in placing the incense and had pulled a box of matches out from one of her desk's drawers. "Did you ever hear from your-a 'old flame'?"

Giulia froze in the midst of lighting a match, "….who told you about him?" she inquired softly, not turning around; Miguel moved a tire outward in an uncertain shrug.

"Some of the men were speaking about it….."

The older Alfa Romeo was released from her unmoving stupor, moving to light the match, "did they mention a name?" she asked delicately, as if not wishing to know the answer.

"No."

"Good," Giulia murmured quietly, almost remorsefully, as she lit the stick of incense, the gentle scent of jasmine swirling around her in smoky wisps, and she inhaled the familiar scent despondently, disappearing before they reached the low-paneled ceiling.

* * *

Finn abhorred the smell of jasmine.

And it wasn't just a simple peeve, but a true dislike of the floral scent. To put it simply…it brought back memories. Giulia, as strange as it sounded, always smelled like jasmine. 'It was her natural musk', she'd told him once, jokingly.

And now, looking over Carburetor County from the wide vantage point before the Wheel Well Motel, the faint scent of the aforementioned flower wafting towards him, the Aston Martin fought off the honest urge to dive off the cliff altogether.

Idling with closed eyes, the fragrance from either a candle, incense, or one of those new-fangled air fresheners—or perhaps he was imagining it—obscuring his senses. Ford…how he missed her….

Although, as he stood in the slowly setting sun, the last rays reflecting softly off of his hood and sides, a breeze picking up the sound of other cars' conversations, the Aston Martin slowly fell into a half-asleep trance, and a memory long suppressed resurfacing….

"_I can assume that you've already heard."_

_The Aston Martin hardly spared his aerial companion a passing upward glance, instead keeping his eyes glued to the monitor in front of him, "heard what, old chap?"_

_Siddeley was hesitant in answering "...what they discovered about Giulia, Finn…they...they believe that she was sent to the Academy, as to….as to gather information regarding C.H.R.O.M.E."_

"_And where did they garner this assumption from?" the question was asked levelly, but one could easily detect the dangerous tone underlying it. _

"_Well..." the jet hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "they have….'cracked down' on the new recruits, so to speak, and it's because…" the aircraft took a calming breath before answering. "They think Giulia was a double agent, Finn."_

_The cabin was utterly silent, the only sound being the steady beeping of the monitor, before Finn snorted suddenly,"oh please, Sid. Is that all?"_

"_Wha-what do you mean?" Siddeley inquired in bewilderment, and the Aston Martin chuckled lowly, beginning to maneuver the mouse under his tire as he continued looking over the information on screen. _

"_In case you've forgotten, Siddeley, Giulia was kidnapped. Quite forcefully, if I might add, judging by the number of dents I'm still attempting to get rid of. And so, either way whoever she worked for got her back, and sure, it's quite possible that she was sent to gather intel, but don't forget, I heard her call for me before those henchmen beat me into submission," the Aston Martin's voice had taken on a dangerous tone once more, and the jet didn't dare interrupt him. "There was true fear in her voice, Siddeley, and _that _is what I'll never forget. Double agent or not." _

"Um, Finn? Earth to Finn…"

The Aston Martin startled awake, rolling back several feet with a surprised cry, only to meet the familiar, and somewhat bemused, features of his partner. Holley smirked, "did I interrupt your nap?" The elder spy car harrumphed embarrassedly, shifting his tires in the dust.

"I was simply resting my eyes," Finn responded in a clipped tone, diverting his gaze towards the valley below, the sun having already set, submerging the county in quickly-growing darkness.

"Mhmm,"the Jaguar nodded disbelievingly, and began to drive away from the view. Finn followed her, still attempting to brush off the images that re-emerged. "What were you really doing?" Holley inquired after a moment, apparently oblivious to her partner's still slightly dazed state. "Trying to commune with the universe?"

The Aston Martin was barely able to bite back a bark of laughter, before glancing back at the panorama they had just left behind. "No, just….thinking."

* * *

**A/N: An especially fast update, just for you guys! This is a bit of a filler chapter, but the REAL action will start up again next!**

**And as for the Competizione, GOOGLE IT. It has to be the most amazing car I have ever seen, and Miguel will play a bigger role later on. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Alfa and Omega**

**-Cars 2 Characters (c) PIXAR 2011-**

**-Plot idea (c) Funkywatermelon and sister- **

**-Includes Mater/Holley-**

_~Outer reaches of Radiator Springs-1100 Hours~_

Siddeley's cabin was nearly silent, barring the sound of Holley looking over information on one of the monitors, swiveling the metallic mouse under her tire, while Mater played solitaire on another. Tongue out in concentration, the tow truck attempted to beat the computer, but the electronic card game was getting the best of him.

Holley had begun conversing with the jet, exchanging pleasant conversation. But the Jaguar suddenly changed topics, and one could almost feel Siddeley bristle around them. "Do you know what's wrong with Finn?"

"Er…what do mean?" the jet inquired uncertainly.

"Well he has been rather….distant as of late, don't you think?"

The aircraft was silent for a moment, but was spared from answered the Jaguar when Mater suddenly spoke up, having apparently missed every word of his companions' previous conversation, "well dad-gum, this 'ere vid-e-yo game is bestin' me more 'n any Lemon ever did! Ah dun't know which card goes where…."

Siddeley didn't hesitate for a second before promptly answering, "red eight on the black nine, Mater."

"Wha-how do you even _know_ that?" Holley inquired in bewilderment, turning to glance incredulously at the ceiling as Mater eagerly took up on the jet's advice. "You can't even see the screen!"

The jet only chuckled, "well, that's always the one Giulia always got stuck on—"Siddeley was suddenly silent, and for a moment both cars thought he'd turned off his internal communicator by mistake. "I-I mean," the aircraft began, stuttering slightly. "That's the one _everyone_ gets stuck on…"

Mater and Holley exchanged an uncertain glance, but returned to their previous activities nevertheless. The Jaguar clicked through various folder, humming something similar to 'Life is a Highway', when she accidently pressed on the incorrect file. Breaking off mid-hum, the violet spy car gave a small cry of surprise, beginning to look over the folder's contents.

Noticing his girlfriend's concentrated expression—brows drawn and mouth set in a determined line—Mater made his way over to her, peering at the monitor. "What is it?" he inquired curiously, cab cocked slightly to the side.

"I'm not sure," Holley answered truthfully, jade eyes flitting over to her beau before turning to the screen and lowered her voice a few decibels. "But I believe they're some of Finn's older files…from back when he first started out as an agent."

"Oooh," the tow truck whispered in interest, eyes widened to twice their normal size. "Are ya gunna open it?"

"I'm not sure," Holley wheedled tentatively, tire hovering over the mouse."I mean, if Finn finds out…" the Jaguar paused, as if realizing something,"…then again, I doubt he'd even know if we took a small peek…"

Mater nodded in agreement, and the spy car began looking through the file, swiftly scanning over the lines of text for a few minutes before laying eyes on what drew her attention most. A folder labeled 'Mission Log' could be seen in a corner, and Holley couldn't stop herself from clicking it.

A new window opened, filling the entire screen. It seemed to be a recording of some sort, and it flickered momentarily before grainy, black and white footage took form. And though the resolution was awful and fuzzy, the form of a familiar Aston Martin could be clearly seen.

"Is that…?" Mater questioned slowly, and the Jaguar at his side nodded, a disbelieving look plastered across her features as she gawked at the much younger version of her partner.

"Finn…"

The more youthful version of the spy car seemed to be fiddling with something off-screen, before turning towards the camera, expression serious. "_This is agent Finn McMissile, from the C.H.R.O.M.E. branch of the MI6_," the silvery spy car spoke in an easy-going tone, but the same sense of levelheadedness and decorum could be clearly heard. And it was all the two cars could do to keep from gaping. "_Mission Log: Entry One. The date is October thirteenth, 1990, and 1100 hours. Our location is—"_

"_This isn't our first mission, Finn, it's our sixth. You've just barely learned how to use the recording camera,_" a sudden Italian accented voice said from off-screen, and the Aston Martin startled slightly as a stunning Alfa Romeo rolled into view, playful smirk adorning her grill.

Finn sighed, sending his companion a wayward glance before he continued speaking_, "and this is my partner, Giulia Del Tyre."_

Giulia smiled widely_, "ciao."_

Siddeley, having been listening the whole time in muted horror, suddenly stammered,"W-what are you watching?"

Holley—who had paused the recording—was hesitant in answering, and had easily detected the disbelieving tone the jet had spoken with. "Just an old recording, Siddeley. With Finn and—"

"—and Giulia,"the aircraft finished for her. The cars' gazes shifted towards the screen, where the Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin could be seen side by side, the same playful grin decorating former's grill, while the latter regarded her with a slowly growing smile.

"What happened to 'er?" Matter inquired suddenly, watching the monitor with wide eyes.

"And were they close?" Holley added, the jet taking a long moment to answer.

"Very."

"But how come Finn never done told us 'bout her?" the tow truck questioned, his companion nodding along to his inquiry.

"Well, there were some complications—"Siddeley broke off, quietly breathing,"….oh Chrysler…."

Before the couple could ask what had startled their friend so, the jet's internal communicator abruptly fell silent. Mater and Holley shared a confused look, before slowly turning back towards the monitor, the Jaguar's tire hovering uncertainly over the mouse once more.

"So…" a voice from behind them suddenly began. "You've been snooping around, haven't you?"

The pair whipped around, eyes wide, to find the Aston Martin standing before them. Holley had accidently begun the recording again, the sound lowered. The hush was thick in the jet's cabin, and after a moment of stunned silence, Siddeley spoke. "Ah, F-Finn, I apologize, but I tried to tell you—"

"Siddeley." The elder spy car spoke evenly, but his words pierced through the aircraft's stammered excuse likes sharpened darts. The jet was instantly silent.

Directing his gaze towards his partner and the tow truck, Holley was astonished find barely veiled pain displayed in the Aston Martin's features, coupled with a muted rage she'd never seen before in his aqua eyes. "Well," Finn began, voice tight, but retaining the same level of chivalry as always. "Since you've learned this much, you may as well know the rest." Instead of lecturing the pair as they had expected—a hurt tone still evident in his voice however—the Aston Martin turned, heading back down the ramp. Although, he called one last thing behind him before disappearing altogether.

"Watch the last recording, if you wish. You've seen enough already…"

The entirety of the cabin was silent once more. Mater and Holley exchanged another uncertain look, and Siddeley's voice pierced the stillness again. "Do as he says," the jet murmured gravely.

The Jaguar turned back towards the monitor, closing the recording and returning to the original file, finding the aforementioned folder and after a moment's hesitation, clicked on it. Another window opened, the recording displayed in faded color this time, with much better quality. But the look on the Aston Martin's features was far from cheerful. In fact, the spy car looked downright awful.

The younger Finn's eyes were bloodshot, eyelids drooped tiredly and usually bright aqua orbs were dull and nearly lifeless. There were several dents covering his sides, most noticeably his fenders, although they seemed to be gradually healing. He was missing one of his rearview mirrors, only a cracked and dented hole remaining. His mouth was set in a grim line, and when he spoke, his voice was almost lifeless, but there was an utmost pain underlying it.

"_This is Finn McMissile, British Intelligence,_" he began firmly, numbed gaze glued to the camera. "_The date is June fifth, 1993, and 1800 hours from Heathrow Airfield," _the Aston Martin paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself, _"almost twenty-four hours ago_, _Agent Giulia Del Tyre, my…partner, was kidnapped. I have yet to discover the exact reason why. But I swear now, to whatever gods reside up above, that I _will_ find her," _the spy car's gaze shifted, emotion finally returning to his lifeless eyes as he glared heatedly at the camera. He rested back on his axles after a moment, expression softening. "_This will be my final mission log._"

The Aston Martin turned, pushing a button off-screen, and the monitor went dark, leaving the two cars gaping in utter shock at the unlit screen.

* * *

_~Underground Bunker, Outskirts of Sicily- 1900 Hours~_

Acrisio's henchmen didn't stand a chance against him. The Competizione had already felled nearly a dozen of the Spider's best combatants, and he wasn't the least bit tired. It was child's play.

The young Alfa Romeo had already been fighting against car after car for the better half of an hour, silver paint shining faintly under the faulty fluorescent lights of the training room, the old Spider watching from the sidelines, two forklifts on either side of him, and he coughed loudly and hoarsely every so often. It certainly didn't help that he had a cigar dangling from the corner of his mouth the entire time, puffing plumes of thick smoke into the air.

Just as Miguel moved to incapacitate another Land Rover, the Spider's gravelly voice cut through his thoughts, and he froze in the midst of a complex karate chop.

"That's all for-a today, Miguel."

"_S__í__, signore," _the Competizione said instantly, tucking his tires back underneath him, and bowed his hood in respect.

"You did very well," the Spider commenting, slowly regarding the younger Alfa Romeo.

"_Grazie, signore."_

"_But,"_Acrisio began, wheeling over to the Competizione, the two forklifts staying behind."You have-a not been putting your skills to good use, Miguel."

The younger Italian car raised an eyelid, "what do you-a mean?"

The Spider chuckled dryly, "you are an amazing fighter, as I'm sure you're aware, and—"Acrisio broke off in a sudden coughing fit, entire frame shaking from the intense hacking. The cigar fell out of his mouth, and as Miguel moved to help him, he purposely crushed it under his tire. The elder Alfa Romeo held out his own tire to stop him from advancing, and the coughing ceased after several moments, the Spider taking a deep breath to steady himself.

The Competizione looked over his mentor solicitously, "are you alright, _signore_?"

Heaving a sigh, Acrisio nodded despondently,"_s__í__, _Miguel. Although I must admit that my health is slowly deteriorating. I don't run as well as I used to…"

"You were saying, _signore_?"

"Ah, yes, yes, _corretto,_" the Spider nodded, beginning to gesticulate with his tires. "Well, I am sure that you are aware of the fact that there several men who aren't very…._fond _of us, and our endeavors."

Miguel bobbed his hood, confirming his understanding,"_s__í__, _the MI6, DGSE, and CIA."

"Correct," Acrisio affirmed in a clipped tone. "But there is one major agency you are forgetting, Miguel, and their most dangerous agent."

The Competizione only responded with a bewildered look, an eyelid raised as the Spider circled him, stifling another engine-jarring cough before continueing,"in the CIA there was Rod Redline, and in C.H.R.O.M.E.—the agency I spoke of—a 'Leland Turbo'. We are fortunate enough to have had our Lemon comrades…take care of these agents, but there is one more that has evaded our attentions for some time….." Acrisio met the younger car's gaze with a disarming intensity, and Miguel rolled back slightly from the sheer strength of it. The Spider spat the name as if it were foul poison, upper lip curled in disdain.

"Finn McMissile."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Alfa and Omega**_

"_What's your twenty, Finn?_"

"South eastern area of London. Dodgier region. Near Saffron Hill, I believe. Where are you and Mater stationed?"

"_A few blocks down. Mater is on point, making sure you aren't ambushed._"

_Again, _the Aston Martin thought darkly, swerving slightly to avoid a Berkley heading his way. He had to admit…grudgingly, that having his partner and tow truck assist him in his search for Giulia was certainly helping, and were tracking a possible source at the very moment.

"And where is our informer?" Finn inquired, gaze flitting over the closely pressed edifices surrounding him. He had never been particularly fond of enclosed spaces…his partner's voice drew him from his reverie.

"_On your six. And…be careful, Finn,"_ The Jaguar advised somewhat worriedly. _"This entire excursion could be a ruse, so don't get your hopes up._"

The elder spy car smirked softy, "don't fret, Miss Shiftwell. I can take care of myself."

Holley's only answer was a self-suffering sigh, before the line went dead. The Aston Martin chuckled, attempting to push back the memories that the call had brought back.

Honestly, as if he didn't know how to take care of himself….

Quickly nearing a narrow side alley, pressed between two tall buildings, but wide enough to give the Aston Martin space to turn, and if necessary, fight. The spy car drove into the lane, instantly shrouded by darkness in the shadowy pathway, the structures on either side blocking out the sparse sunlight. He waited patiently in the gloom, surveying the cracked cement beneath his tires for a moment, before he heard the soft hum of another engine. Glancing upward, Finn was met with a car built similar to an AC, idling in the alley's entrance, silhouetted against the meager sunlight.

After a moment of tense silence, the Aston Martin queried tactfully, "I'm going to assume that you're the car I've come to meet?"

The other car faltered momentarily, glancing nervously towards the street behind him,"Y-yes." He spoke in an inexplicably familiar and timid British accent, although Finn couldn't place it.

The Aston Martin's expression hardened, "do you have information on the whereabouts of Giu—Miss Del Tyre, or not?"

The informant shuffled his tires nervously, driving further into the alley, although his features remained indistinguishable. "Well, yes, but…it's a very complicated process—I could easily be tracked, hunted down, our meeting discovered—all because of a woman who disappeared over eighteen years ago, it's quite—"

Before the AC-appearing car could even finish his sentence, Finn—who'd been listening to the informant's stammered speech in tense silence, barely keeping his growing irritation at bay, but the fact that he'd insulted the purpose of the meeting, as if Giulia wasn't even _worth _the trouble, was the last straw—revving his engine at a startling speed, he rammed into his so-called informer, slamming him against the wall in his rage. Sparks flew as metal collided with brick, and younger car was stunned for several moments as the Aston Martin began giving orders.

"Now listen here you blasted excuse for an informant, whether you like it or not, I require that information, and I will not rest until…."

The spy car's final threat died on his lips as he finally got a better look at the AC Frua he had pinned against the wall.

"…Arnold?"

* * *

"How do you suppose Finn's doing?"

Mater glancing towards the Jaguar at the sudden question, his girlfriend tracking both the elder spy car and informant on her holo-screen, a worried look crossing her features. Ever since finding out about the Aston Martin's…darker, aspect of his life, (i.e., Giulia's kidnapping) Holley had grown increasingly solicitous about her partner's well-being. She was surprised that he had even gone that long with the guilt of losing the Alfa Romeo.

Then again, this was _Finn_ they were speaking about. The car on every criminals 'ask for backup when sighted' list, an agent who had faced off against danger ten-fold of that Mater or Holley ever would, and had looked death straight in the eye on more than one occasion. A master of disguise and infiltration—not to mentioned combat—could surely stand his own against a single sketchy informant.

And so, Mater answered his girlfriend with a small grin, directing his gaze out towards the window as to survey the surrounding streets once more.

"Ah think he'll be jist fine."

* * *

The Aston Martin had lessened his hold on the younger Frua, but not enough for him to escape. The Arnold-look alike seemed genuinely surprised by the sudden assumption, and shook his hood timidly after a moment.

"N-no, Arnold w-was my brother….I was h-hired by the C-Carcione family after his d-death."

"What do the Carcione's have to do with anything?"Finn demanded, eyes narrowed suspiciously. The younger car gulped, before muttering.

"They have to do with everything."

At the Aston Martin's puzzled expression, the Frua sighed heavily, although blatant fear still hung heavily in his eyes, "If you release me, I will explain." The elder spy car eyed him carefully again, before his features grew calculating, as if weighing the options. A moment passed before he came to his decision.

"Alright. But don't even _think _of trying anything."

The Aston Martin reversed, giving the younger car enough space to free himself. He didn't bolt upon his release, instead rolling to face the spy car, a sort of guardedness to his features. The Frua looked nearly exactly like his brother, with the same slate grey eyes, but instead of a dusty brown coat, his paint was a dark hunter green.

"I may as well introduce myself before beginning," the younger car began, shuffling a tire momentarily. "My name is Calvin Muffler, younger brother to the late Arnold Muffler."

"How did you all of cars get caught up with the Carcione's?" Finn commanded, cutting the Frua's speech short.

Calvin seemed wholly unperturbed by the Aston Martin's interruption, but the question itself seemed to put him on edge. He gulped nervously once more before answering, "because they murdered by brother."

At the spy car's instantly stunned expression, Calvin continued, voice beginning to crack, "one of Acrisio's men came up to me after the funeral…I didn't know who they were at the time—Arnold was the C.H.R.O.M.E. agent, not me—and they asked about everything he knew, or might've known. I thought they were from the government, and I unknowingly immersed myself further…it wasn't until much later that I realized what I'd done…"

"But do you know _why_ Acrisio's henchmen attacked me and my partner?" Finn inquired, a tad gentler this time. "And if there was any proof of her being a double agent?"

Calvin stared at the Aston Martin in stunned silence for a moment before blinking slowly, "you were never told?"

"Told what?"

"They left you in the dark so long…" the Frua murmured mournfully, before meeting Finn's gaze evenly for the first time, not a trace of fear visible in his grey eyes."Giulia Del Tyre is, or was, Acrisio Carcione's daughter."

* * *

"You have failed me, _signore _Muffler."

Acrisio stared down the younger Frua, the British car quaking vehemently at the Spider and his surrounding henchmen. Miguel surveyed silently in the background, a semi anxious look crossing his features from time to time.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Calvin quivered, grey eyes wide as the Land Rovers on all sides sent him intimidating glares. "B-but, the I-information w-was forced out of m-me. I was threatened—he threatened t-to kill me!"

The Frua's pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, and Acrisio shook his hood in mock disappointment, "I put so much-a trust in you, just like your brother…how where you-a found?"

"I-I don't know," the British car gibbered, attempting to gain control of his fearful spasms. "A-although, he-he did threaten me, s-sir! I tried n-not to tell him a-anything, but he wouldn't let it go…I…." the Frua's last argument faded, and he sat in fearful silence for a moment, before the Competizione, who had been idling in the back as to not draw attention, rode forward, respectfully bowing his hood in his mentor's direction.

"If I may, _signore_?"

Acrisio nodded his consent, and the younger Alfa Romeo directed his gaze towards Calvin. The Frua's shaking only grew more audible as Miguel gradually drew closer, until he was a mere three feet away. A serious look in his aqua eyes, the Competizione asked his question calmly, no threats lining his accented voice, "Who, exactly, threatened you?"

"It was Finn McMissile, Miguel," the Spider answered for Calvin, and the Competizione's expression melted into one of rage.

"Why would he be searching for information?" Miguel demanded, although his heated look faltered when he met the Spider's gaze, lowering his hood in utmost reverence and fear.

Acrisio shrugged nonchalanty, diverting a hacking cough that shook his very frame. "Eh, who knows. But we _do _know that this Frua has given valuable information to the enemy…"

Everyone turned back towards the British car, and Calvin instantly began shaking again,"p-please, s-s-sir. I-I'll make up for it—please, I-I'll do anything!" As the Frua continued groveling, Acrisio only looked over him self-righteously, and once Calvin's begging was over, he gave a shrug with the outward wave of a tire.

"Well…..I suppose that I _could _offer some leniency, considering the circumstances…."

The Frua breathed a heavy sigh, entire fame sagging in relief. Acrisio began to turn, and gestured behind him with a backhanded wave of a tire.

"Kill him."

Calvin's breath hitched, and every drop of green paint on his front bumper seemed to turn a pure, pallid white, eyes widening to the size of hubcaps. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

The Land Rovers began closing in on him, but before they could lay a single tread on the British car, Miguel rolled forward,"ah, wait, _signore._" Acrisio turned back towards the Competizione, and eyelid raised. Gathering his courage, the youthful Alfa Romeo swallowed before continueing."Isn't it a bit….eh, harsh, to kill him like this?"

"Ah, yes!" the Spider nodded in realization, patting the silver car proudly on the fender. "Good idea." Acrisio turned one last time, calling back towards the Competizione, his resulting answer making the entire warehouse instantly fall silent upon his words.

"Then _you _will kill the traitor."


	14. Chapter 14

**_I apologize in advance for the short-ness of this chapter_**

_~Nearing Sicily, Italy -1700 hours~_

The atmosphere was tense in Siddeley's cabin, all three cars silent as the jet soared though the air, the setting sun casting shadows over the vehicles, each one remaining quiet for their own reason.

Mater sat alongside his girlfriend, the Jaguar silent as she looked over information on her holo-screen. The tow truck had been given the choice of whether or not he wanted to accompany them, and could've easily chosen to stay in Radiator Springs, but had refused to let his friends go off on such a potentially dangerous mission alone, especially after learning about the missing partner (and veritable girlfriend) the elder of the two had lost. Mater had asked about the elusive Giulia in the beginning, but the Aston Martin had stopped answering his questions some time ago, and the tow truck had been reduced to day dreaming.

Holley's situation was similar. Remaining silent for most of the flight, looking over the pre-destined landing location that the Frua had given them, had only raised sparse and tentative questions regarding the missing Alfa Romeo, and now sat somewhat calmly, sending her partner a concerned glance every now and then.

However, the Aston Martin was another story entirely.

Finn could hardly sit still in his chair, swiveling his seat around to peer at a monitor, out the window, or simply fiddle with the control consol. He spun the mouse anxiously under his left tire, his usually cool and collected demeanor forgone and replaced with round-about worry, keen aqua eyes shifting around uneasily.

The couple in front of the elder spy car had given up on reassuring him—they had no idea of what they would encounter when reaching Sicily…

Time passed by too quickly for Finn's tastes…or perhaps it took too long…his sense of time had slowly begun to deteriorate, and soon enough, the jet's landing gears touched down on uneven ground, and the cabin was silent a moment longer before Siddeley slowly spoke, stating the obvious.

"We're here…."

* * *

Giulia could sense that something was going to happen that day.

She wasn't sure of what, or when such 'thing' would occur, but it was a feeling deep in her tank that wouldn't be dispelled. It could've been easily determined that the Alfa Romeo had a sixth sense of sorts—for example, she knew exactly which days she could traipse out of her room without worry, and other times when one was to remain in their quarters, lest they face her father's ill-timed wrath. Most henchmen had caught on as the years passed, but others weren't quite as fortunate.

Presently, it was a sort of day that could be either one—the greatly feared Spider having not been seen the entire day. Giulia had ventured out of her room for some time, roving around the base to find breakfast before returning to her quarters.

Although, she had yet to hear from Miguel. The Competizione, while several years younger than her, proved to be a rather good confidant, and undeniably— the only one in the bunker that she could trust completely. Still young, and only seventeen years of age, Miguel had been exposed to things not even grown men could stomach, but took it all in stride. He was a strong boy, a bit too cocky at times, but fully reliable. Not to mentioned one hell of a fighter.

Now, however, Giulia simply idled in her room, gaze roaming over the plain grey walls of her prison. A stick of jasmine scented incense burned on her desk, safely tucked into a case as the floral scent wafted through the enclosed space. For the first time, the familiar scent did nothing to soothe her.

For some reason, the fact that she hadn't seen Miguel for a majority of the day bothered her…usually, he hardly left her side, only parting when Acrisio called him for training, or when he left the bunker altogether to go into town, but a majority of her father's henchmen were still there.

It vexed her, to put it mildly. And so, it was with a heavy sigh that Giulia rode over to her desk, extinguishing the incense.

It was then that the power went out.

* * *

Sneaking into the bunker had been easy enough. The guards on the outside had been almost _too _effortless to defeat, and finding the control room had been a veritable piece of cake. Although, Finn feared that the rest of the mission wouldn't be as simple.

Holley scoffed openly at the supposed high-tech machinery displayed before her, consisting of a microphone—which connected to speakers that spread throughout the underground base—as well as video cameras placed in all key points of the building. "My giddy aunt could've created this!" the Jaguar snorted, easily hacking into the machine's mainframe. "This entire device is a literal dinosaur…."

Finn looked on from the side as his partner began shutting everything down, and began to silently drive out of the room. "Mater, stay with Holley as backup, alright?"The Aston Martin advised, beginning to make his way out of the small area. "You're our first line of defense in case things turn out pear-shaped."

"A' righty," the tow truck nodded, before turning back towards his friend, Holley otherwise preoccupied. "But wait, where're you goin'?"

The Aston Martin had fully exited the room by this point, but called behind him with a barely concealed smirk, the uncertainty in his expression hidden from his friends' curious gazes. "I'm off to meet an old friend, Mater."

* * *

The outraged cries of her father's henchmen met the Alfa Romeo's highly developed senses, but Giulia could do nothing more than look towards the darkened ceiling in utter shock. They'd never had a power outage before…Acrisio always made sure that his men checked the generator every week, and something like this had only happened once before…but she doubted that a blown fuse was the cause of all this.

Driving out of her quarters, the Alfa Romeo began to maneuver herself through the dark corridor, the absence of light making them black as pitch, her headlights only casting a dim glow through the gloom.

There was a possibility however, lingering in the back of her mind, that they were under attack….but by _who_ was the real question.

She heard shouts further down the hall, coupled with mangled Italian curses, startling Giulia from her reverie. Peering around a corner, headlights reflecting dimly off of the slate grey walls, she hadn't even moved an inch when an achingly familiar voice echoed through the hallway. The Alfa Romeo was positive that her engine skipped a cycle, but she couldn't even muster the strength to turn at the sound.

"Well, Sicily, it's been too long."


	15. Chapter 15

_**To make up for the shortness and cliffhanger-ness of the last chapter, I decided to update this today- enjoy! **_

_~Underground bunker, outskirts of Sicily-1800 Hours~_

Back in the control room, Mater and Holley stood cautiously, as if expecting to be attacked at any moment, Acrisio's henchmen bursting through the door, guns drawn, and so the tow truck made it his job to stand by the door, acting as guard.

Holley surveyed the several dozen screens surrounding her, watching as several cars raced through the darkened corridors, most panicking. After a few moments of silence, the tow truck spoke up.

"Holley…do ya' think that Finn'll find his lady?"

Startled, the Jaguar turned towards her beau,"Giulia?" Mater nodded, and the spy car shrugged slightly, turning back towards the monitors. "Truthfully, I'm not sure, Mater. But I do hope so."

"Yeah," the tow truck sighed sorrowfully."Finn don't deserve any a' this. He 'n Gulia shoulda' bin married, an' maybe had a couple little 'uns."

Holley chuckled lightly, eyes roving keenly over the multitude of screens before she answered, not bothering to correct her boyfriend on the Alfa Romeo's name. "True, but I can hardly imagine Finn having a couple little girls like Mr. Turbo."

"Yep," the tow truck nodded sagely in agreement, "he'd prob'ly have a son….seems like—"

"Wait, Mater," Holey suddenly said, cutting the truck off. "Come look at this."

The tow truck sent the door he was guarding a furtive glance, but rode over to his girlfriend nonetheless, looking over her at the monitors, "what happened?"

The Jaguar gestured towards one of the monitors in the center, "Finn just went down this hallway a few moments ago."

A second passed before a figure could be seen driving through the corridor, headlights reflecting dimly in the slightly blurred black and white recording. It seemed to be a young Competizione, clearly Italian, with a stern look nearly permeated into his features, far too serious for a boy his age, turning to assure that every hall he passed was empty. It was almost as if he was a tightly coiled spring, read to strike, and apply deadly force if necessary.

Mater gulped upon laying eyes on this intimidating adversary, and the Jaguar nodded in agreement to his fear, "we have to warn Finn."

* * *

Giulia barely had the willpower to turn at the sound of the painfully familiar voice, vehemently hoping that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. She felt her breath hitch when finally laying eyes on him. Finn didn't look much different, undeniably older, of course, and his aqua eyes had aged with him, the usual light-heartedness replaced with a silent sense of decorum and experience. He was smirking softly, his words reminiscent of their first true meeting back in the Academy— when first becoming partners— so many years ago.

Deciding to play along, the Alfa Romeo smiled softly, rolling forward slightly. She noticed Finn do the same. "McMissile. I never thought I'd see you again, _estraneo._"

The Aston Martin's smirk grew wider, and Giulia was positive now that he'd moved even closer,"ah, yes, I just have the habit of popping up out of nowhere."

Giulia grinned softly, blue-grey eyes glittering with unshed tears, "ever the flirt, are we?"

The longing was now clear in Finn's eyes as well, and now that they were nearly bumper to bumper, he said his final line,"_naturalmente_."

Their lips met not a moment after, and the dark hall around them seemed to virtually disappear. Both cars put all of their pent-up emotions, the fear, anger, pain, and joy, into that one kiss, and it meant more than all those previous combined. Neither could believe that the day had come—that they were ever be reunited. But here they were, and Fate had decided to be kind to them this one time. No words were needed as the kiss continued, and Finn pulled the Alfa Rome by the front tires into his embrace, openly and wholly returning the affection. A pure, unabashed joy surged through the both of them, undisturbed.

"Finn, we have to—_oh, _oh, I-I'm sorry!"

The couple broke apart at the sudden intrusion, only to lay eyes on a very stunned Jaguar and tow truck, the latter trying his best to keep from gaping. Holley blushed intensely under her violet paint,"ah, p-pardon me, Finn."

The Aston Martin only smiled warmly, nudging the Alfa Romeo had his side comfortingly at the equally surprised look adorning her features, "think nothing of it, Miss Shiftwell," Finn turned to gesture extravagantly towards his love. "But I would like you to meet Miss Giulia Carcione."

The Alfa Romeo turned her shocked gaze towards him, but he simply took it in stride, Finn nodding softly as his partner made the necessary introductions.

"So…." Finn began, diverting Holley's attention. Mater and Giulia had been conversing happily, the Alfa Romeo perfectly at ease with the American tow truck, but they also turned towards the Aston Martin, who continued once he had gained everyone's attention. "Why exactly did you interrupt us, Miss Shiftwell?"

Holley instantly flushed embarrassedly again, but her expression grew serious once she remembered her directive. "Oh, yes! Finn, there was a sketchy looking car heading this way—one of Acrisio's men, I gather. But he seemed different….better trained, somehow."

"Well then, we'd better leave, shouldn't we?" Finn responded cheerfully, gesturing further down the hall, the way they'd come. Mater and Holley sent him a strange look, but Giulia only chuckled as the previous couple began to make their way down the corridor, the Alfa Romeo sidling up next to the Aston Martin as they followed the pair. Finn appeared to be on cloud nine, a somewhat dazed expression adorning his features. Smiling softly, Giulia whispered, "Thank you."

The silvery blue spy car smirked warmly, nudging her comfortingly once more, "think nothing of it, my dear."

"Wait, Finn—" Holley's cried suddenly, but before anyone could react to the short-cut warning, the roar of an extremely powerful engine echoed through the hall, and something abruptly slammed into the Aston Martin's side with a concussive force, shoving him away from Giulia.

Brakes squealing, Finn barely had time to stop before slamming into the wall, stunned. A silver Competizione stood before them, engine idling at a low hum, his eyes narrowed furiously.

Shaking his hood to regain his bearings, Finn rose on his axles, ordering, "Holley, take Mater and Giulia. I will deal with this alone." The Jaguar nodded, ushering the stunned Alfa Romeo forward, and the Competizione's expression grew more livid, and he raced forward to attack Holley, only to be startled back by a suddenly appearing tow truck.

Mater stood protectively in front of his girlfriend, eyes narrowed, and Finn took up on the Competizione's momentarily surprise to land a solid blow to his side, shoving him away from the group.

"Go!" the Aston Martin snapped, and Holley—looking slightly shaken—bobbed her hood once more, the tow truck taking it upon himself to nudge Giulia forward. The Alfa Romeo then got over her shock, attempting to call back to her lover.

"Finn, _aspettate_!" the Aston Martin turned towards her, only to have to block an attack from the younger car at the last minute, unable to give the Alfa Romeo his full attention.

Mater and Holley succeeded in ushering the Alfa Romeo further away from the ongoing battle, but Giulia's last words died on her lips as they were faced with an entire armada of her father's men.

* * *

If Finn was honest with himself, which he…._usually_ was, he would admit that he had been looking forward to pounding some of Acrisio's henchmen's faces in, as simple comeuppance, but what he was met with was admittedly, a bit more difficult.

The Aston Martin may as well divulge it….the lad could fight.

The silver Competizione blocked his every move, and when instilling one of his own, it usually hit its mark. The kid was cocky, that much was evident, and every attack was executed with the precision and accuracy of an assassin. And Finn had dealt with his share of _those _before.

After another hit to his fender, the Aston Martin decided that enough was enough, and deployed the magnetic covering over his tires. This certainly surprised the Competizione, but he took it in stride, assuming a….karate pose?

Before the spy car could even attempt to grasp what had just occurred—they had just been battling 'old school', tire to tire—the younger car had already launched another attack, Finn finding it more difficult to block each assault as time passed. The truth was plain as day, not that Finn was above admitting it….the kid was as well-trained a fighter as he was.

But suddenly, the Competizione paused mid-swing, and a warbled voice came over his communicator. He answered in rapid Italian, eerily reminiscent of what Giulia used to do back at the Academy, before abruptly racing off, disappearing around a corner, and leaving the Aston Martin utterly confused as to what had just occurred.

It was then that his partner's voice came over his own communicator, the Jaguar's voice frantic and somewhat pained,"F-Finn, they have Giulia!"

The Aston Martin could've sworn he felt his engine falter.

* * *

"Very wise of you, Giulia," Acrisio sneered, although the Spider was hidden from view in the shadows, an indistinguishable mass against the dark walls around him. "Sending _signore _Muffler to give the information to your _fidanzato._" The elder car chuckled, although the action seemed pained and he burst out in rough, hacking coughs before finally gaining his breath, "pure genius…." He continued hoarsely.

"What is the point of all this, Acrisio?" Giulia snapped, no longer fearing her so-called father. "Why keep me here for so long? What could you have hoped to gain?"

The Spider chuckled deeply, managing to keep from coughing this time, "why, you needed to be punished, _mia figlia. _You were meant to gather information all those years ago, and instead fell for that _inglesi. _Long story short, as they say, you and Miguel's imprisonment was punishment. Nothing more, nothing less."

The younger Alfa Romeo glared at the mass deemed to be her father, demanding, "And where is Miguel? What lies have you filled his head with? The last time I saw him, he was battling against his—against McMissile."

Acrisio chuckled darkly once more, murmuring under his breath,"ah yes, I almost forgot that I forbade you to tell him…" at Giulia's glare, he continued. "_S__í__, s__í_, of course. The little traitor. He is very much like you, you know? Noble, caring….." the younger Alfa Romeo could almost see her father's sneer. "I attempted to….'wring' this out of him, but it is my greatest sorrow to admit that I have failed…"

A light flickered on, illuminating a corner of the room, revealing the extremely beaten form of an Alfa Romeo Competizione.

* * *

It was then that sudden explosion shook the building, and the heavy oak doors burst open, smoke pouring into the dark room. The Aston Martin raced into the closed quarters alone, guns drawn, and headlights blazing.

All at once, Finn took in his surroundings.

Having just blown two Range Rovers into kingdom come with his miniature bombs, the room he'd entered unceremoniously was shadowy, with only one light shining in the corner, (seeing as how the rest of the building remained dark, and thanks to his partner's technological skills, would most likely remain that way, so the only other option had to be a private generator) a familiar Competizione positioned under it, seemingly half-conscious, and the Alfa Romeo stood by him, a completely despondent look across her features.

Glancing upwards, Giulia's expression melted in relief, although before the Aston Martin could advance, a chilling and unknown voice echoed throughout the room.

"Finn McMissile…we meet at least."

The spy car raised an eyelid, turning towards the source of the sound, "Acrisio Carcione, I presume?"

The Spider's resulting chuckle sounded rather pained, "my, my, C.H.R.O.M.E.'s finest agent has finally decided to show himself…it is about time that we meet face to face."

"I cannot say that the feeling's mutual," Finn responded in a clipped tone, beginning to make his way towards the Alfa Romeo, aqua eyes never leaving the head of the Carcione family—or where he deemed him to be.

"Ah, yes," Acrisio sneered."Because I took my daughter back. I sorely hope that you are competent enough to have figured that out by now?"

"Of course."

"Then I can also assume that you know _why _I sent her to the C.H.R.O.M.E. Spy Academy?"

"To gather information," Finn answered tactfully, still slowly driving over to Giulia, the Alfa Romeo's anxious gaze shifting between the Aston Martin and the beaten form of the Competizione.

"_Corretto_. And this doesn't bother you at all?" the Spider queried, and the Aston Martin felt a fraction of his airy façade slip, and his brow twitched in annoyance.

Gaze centered on the mass he believed to be the older Alfa Romeo, he snapped, "no, it doesn't. Why are you even asking any of these _blasted _questions?"

The elder car chuckled as the spy car finally reached Giulia's side, the Alfa Romeo sending him an uncertain look, "patience, McMissile. All will become clear in due time." The Spider paused momentarily, as if having lost his train of thought. "Have you met Miguel, by any chance?"

A bewildered look instantly settled on the Aston Martin's features, but glancing towards Giulia, who in turn looked over the Competizione at her side, worried gaze roving over his battered body, realization slowly dawned. "Yes, I believe I have," Finn answered, turning back towards Acrisio.

"I trained him, you know," the Spider continued, as if having a conversation about something as simple and frivolous as the weather. "Or I instructed him, at the very least. I can imagine that he was quite the opponent?"

Finn nodded slowly, "I must admit, you taught him well. Especially in copying most of my moves."

Acrisio chuckled in response, "I didn't teach him any of those, McMissile. He came up with them himself—he was a worthy student, and perhaps could've even followed in my tire treads if it weren't for his 'good heart'. He wouldn't have survived a week in my place..."

Biting back in annoyed sigh, but remaining on guard nonetheless, the Aston Martin demanded, "enough games, Acrisio. What does the boy even have to do with anything?"

"He's your son, McMissile."

* * *

**A/N: Hey, didja know that the Alfa Romeo Competizione (the last part meaning 'Competition' in Italian) can go at speeds of over 190 miles per hour? And that it can go from 0-60 in nearly four seconds? Yeah...I think that's pretty cool... ;) **


	16. Chapter 16

_~Underground bunker, Outskirts of Sicily- 1830 Hours~_

There were several things Holley hadn't thought could occur in through the course of only a week. And yet here she was.

The first would have to be that her partner even _had_ a girlfriend, who just happened to have been kidnapped over eighteen years ago—that would've been quite the eye-opener for anyone—second, the fact that the aforementioned girlfriend was the daughter of one of the most powerful cars in Europe, but third, and most shocking, was the simple revelation that Finn McMissile had a son.

Ironic enough, it wasn't Acrisio who had announced it, but the younger Alfa Romeo—Giulia still at her son's side—who had cut her father off, revealing the abrupt news. Finn turned his stunned gaze towards her, tires apparently rooted to the ground in his shock; Acrisio smirked in the gloom, apparently reveling in the chaos he'd created.

But before the Aston Martin could even open his mouth—not that he'd even know what to say—a familiar accented voice suddenly called from the shadowy doorway, utterly disrupting the silence.

"Eh…why's is so dad-gum dark in 'ere?" there was a fumbling sound before all of the lights in the room flickered on, revealing the tow truck standing in the entrance—seemingly covered in more dents than before— an embarrassed look crossing his features once he realized that he'd attracted everyone's attention. Holley was behind the truck, having apparently hid in the shadows with her beau for a few moments before he unceremoniously announced their presence, although slightly dinged; once she glanced around her boyfriend her eyes widened twice their normal size.

Mater's abrupt entrance was suddenly forgotten, everyone having turned towards the source of Acrisio's voice. The Spider was indeed there, but not like they had imagined him. Acrisio was lying on a lift, lowered so that his tires nearly touched the ground, a small forklift-henchman at his side, and the old car looked awful, eyes bloodshot and paint faded, not all how anyone would imagine the head of one of the largest mafia families to appear.

Acrisio Carcione was dying.

The Spider chuckled lowly at the surrounding cars' stunned expressions, muttering hoarsely, "well, well, two engine-jarring revelations in one day…what's next, the tow truck having an IQ higher than twenty?"

"You played us," Finn snapped—Mater looking rather defensive in the background—tearing his eyes away from Giulia and his apparently illegitimate son.

"_Corretto," _Acrisio sneered."I have but a few days to live."

The younger Alfa Romeo's gaze never left her son, although understanding had dawned on her features some time ago, "you always enjoyed playing God…."

"So this was all a hoax," the Aston Martin observed, glaring heatedly at the elderly car. "We could leave at this very moment and you wouldn't be able to do a single thing to stop us?" Holley, having remained in shell-shocked silence for some time, caught on to what her partner was hinting at, and gestured for Mater to enter the room further.

"You are correct once again, McMissile," the Spider affirmed, pausing to cough violently. The forklift at his side attempted to stable his boss as his engine turned over before finally stalling. He cleared his throat after a moment, "I take great joy from playing with my enemies' minds, and monopolizing in order to reach the top."

"Well in that case—," Finn began, and with a quick nod in the tow truck's direction, Mater affixed his tow hook under the prone form of the Competizione,"—we'll just be going now."

Acrisio waved them away uncaringly, "yes, yes, go. I doesn't matter to me anymore. I live for creating chaos and anarchy, and as you can see, I won't be able to do much more of that. So let me die in peace, if you please."

The wariness remained as the cars filed out of the room, one at a time, until Giulia was the only one left. She sent her father one last passing glance from the safety of the doorway, and Acrisio smirked wickedly, "I bid you farewell, _mia figlia. _Good luck."

Once the cars were all gone, most to live with the bedlam that the Spider had upended into their lives, and he couldn't help but grin. Chaos would be continued, even in the wake of his demise. Smile growing so that it reached an almost insane limit, lunacy growing in the dying car's steely, ash colored eyes, Acrisio Carcione gave one final order.

"Set the building to self destruct."

* * *

_~Siddeley's Cabin- 1900 Hours~ _

"_So_... I have a son."

Giulia turned towards the Aston Martin at his sudden inquiry, surprised by his sudden lapse in silence. The group had left the building and boarded an _extremely _gobsmacked Siddeley with only seconds to spare before the entire edifice erupted in an enormous fiery explosion, debris rocketing hundreds of feet into the air, raining down onto the ocean waves below as they raced away through the air at startling speeds. Mater and Holley had been speaking quietly, but after the spy car's unexpected query, they too fell silent.

The Alfa Romeo chuckled humorlessly, eyes downcast, "I never wished for you to find out this way…"

There was a pause, in which both cars observed the young Competizione, the young vehicle breathing quietly and evenly. "And his name?" Finn questioned after a moment, turning back towards the elder Italian car.

Giulia smiled sadly, "Miguel A Fortiori Carcione…..he is only seventeen," she continued, answering the Aston Martin's unasked question. The Alfa Romeo took a deep breath, as if on the verge of tears,"Acrisio forbade me from telling him about his father…"

Finn gave his love a comforting nudge, Giulia nearly leaning against him in her despair. "He's the reason you couldn't leave, isn't he?" the British car realized, the Alfa Romeo nodding with a despondent smile.

"_S__í_, Miguel was born nearly eight months after my father took me back."

"So that means…"

"Yes," Giulia answered with a tearful smile, attempting to gather her wits, "I was pregnant a month before I was kidnapped…I just never realized…"

They were silent once more. Mater and Holley, having obviously been listening, tried to continue their conversation, speaking in soft tones.

"I…apologize, for not being there…for you, "Finn began awkwardly after a moment, shaking his cab as he attempted to find the right words. The Alfa Romeo gave a sad smile, but gave her love a peck on the cheek nevertheless, looking over their son.

"He acts just like you, you know."

"Oh?" the Aston Martin inquired, eyelid raised. "How so?"

Giulia gave a sort of reminiscing smile, giving the British car a joking shove with her tire, "well, for one, he's very self-confident. Cunning, ingenious, and a master in combat." Finn smirked gallantly, sending his son an almost proud look.

"But that's not all," the Alfa Romeo continued, beaming when she caught the look the Aston Martin had sent their son. "He's very kind…open-minded, but at times, very stubborn."

"He's like a carbon-copy!" Finn chuckled. Giulia joined him, but after a few minutes of mirth, both cars slowly grew serious once more. "You know…I truly missed you, Giulia," the spy car began after a moment, and the Alfa Romeo smiled softly, nudging him affectionately.

"And I, you."

They both fell into a mutual silence, simply reveling in one another's presence, when Siddeley's voice suddenly pierced the stillness.

"I-I'm sorry to intrude," the jet began, having yet to get used to the fact that the Alfa Romeo had truly returned after so many years, and not a single sentence spoken to her was free of his stammering. "But G-Giulia, your…s-son didn't look to well, perhaps we should f-find a hospital."

"I am well aware, Siddeley," Giulia sighed, looking over the young Competizione with a solicitous eyes. "But at the moment, any place could be comprised…we'd have to go somewhere perfectly safe, where my father's remaining associates wouldn't be able to find us…."

"Well, shoot!" Mater announced suddenly, startling the Alfa Romeo. "You coulda' jist done told me that!"

"You know of such a place?" the Italian car inquired curiously.

"Dad-gum—sure Ah do! It's jist a lil' town called Radiator Springs!"

* * *

**_A/N: A Fortiori-Latin for 'By the Stronger'_**

**_I can't thank everyone enough for their amazing reviews on the last chapter! And did anyone catch the foreshadowing for Acrisio dying- y'know, all the coughing? I hope some of you caught that...anyway, please review!_**


	17. Chapter 17

_~Radiator Springs, Arizona USA-1200 Hours~_

The residents of Radiator Springs were often left in the dark in most things concerning the two spy cars, but this had simply got too far. This time, it wasn't just the British cars who were gone.

Mater and the two spies had been gone for nearly a week, doing what— they had no idea, seeing as how the tow truck had left only a few minutes after informing them of the fact that he even _had_ to leave. There had been no calls, although that was understandable, but none of them fancied the thought of having their friend in danger, not that there was any way to stop it. Peril usually found the tow truck.

And so, when the day arrived that a call came into Flo's café, the number blocked, the entire town seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Although, it wasn't Mater who answered.

The Jaguar had been the one speaking, and she did so in a calm—though rushed—tone. Holley mentioned nothing about the mission or their location, only that they would arrive around noon the following day, but what had truly worried them all, had been the last thing she said before the line went dead.

"_Please prepare the medical ward upon our arrival."_

The outcome could only be bleak.

So, most of the town was gathered at the café, as per usual, although an air of uneasiness had settled over Radiator Springs' denizens. The most anxious would've had to be Lightning however, memories from the skirmish in London passing through his mind.

Although they were all surprised to see the jet—Siddeley—land not too far from the center of the town itself around the aforementioned time, right behind Mater's scrap yard in fact, as opposed to a mile or two away like he usually did.

A majority of the townsfolk gathered a good distance away from the aircraft, waiting with baited breath as the ramp lowered. Holley was the first to descend, sending most of the gathered cars an embarrassed smile, a bit battered, but alright. Next was Finn, followed by another rather beautiful car they'd never seen before, a candy apple red Alfa Romeo. Although the Italian's attention was trained on the car before her, silently avoiding eye contact with any of the citizens. And to their tremendous relief, Mater came out at long last, looking honestly surprised as why most of his friends had gathered so. Although, he had a badly beaten car hanging from his tow cable, a silver Competizione, and the truck rolled down the ramp with utmost care.

Finn spoke then, "I apologize for the suddenness of all this—but we have an injured car, and nowhere else was safe enough."

"Hey, tha's alright, man," Ramone piped up, shifting his tires airily. "Mater can just tow the guy down to my shop, an' I can fix him up for you, no problemo."

"Thank you," the Alfa Romeo murmured, looking up to finally greet the townsfolk with kind blue-grey eyes."I did not wish to disturb any of you, and I can only hope that this won't be any sort of inconvenience."

A majority of the older men in group instantly went wide-eyed upon finally _fully _noticing the Italian car, although none dared approach her as the tow truck drove past, following the Chevy Impala with the younger car hanging from his tow hook, on account of the Aston Martin standing rather protectively by her side.

* * *

When Miguel finally gained consciousness, he was immediately aware of two things.

One, the fact that pain was coursing through his frame, although it was somewhat dulled, and there wasn't a single part of his body that wasn't aching. And two, he most definitely was_ not _in Sicily. In fact, judging from the voices he could faintly hear, he wasn't even in Italy at all.

The Competizione's eyes snapped open, though he immediately regretted the action at the stinging pain that erupted from one of his eyelids. Squinting, the Italian was able to survey his surroundings.

He seemed to be in a clinic of some sort—there was a small array of tools too his right, pushed off to the side—but there were also 'paint booths' along with cans of different spray paints and decorated hoods put up for show, adorning with the most extravagant of paintjobs. Beyond the windows, he could faintly hear the chatter of passing cars, most appearing to be American, a small tourist hub of some sort. And glancing to his left, he laid eyes on a familiar Aston Martin.

Miguel would've jumped a foot in the air if it weren't for the pain in his axles. The shock itself was bad enough. Although the Competizione let out a rush of air once he realized that the spy car was asleep.

Attempting to creep off of the lift without attracting attention, Miguel winced when his gears created painfully, seeming to echo loudly through the silent room. Glancing back, the Italian car saw that the noise didn't seem to have awoken the spy car, and sighed in relief once more, continuing his escape attempt. A sudden voice broke through the stillness then, making the young car tense excruciatingly.

"You shouldn't be doing that, you know."

Wincing at the newly defined pain in his axles, the Competizione slowly turned towards the older car. Finn watched him with a raised eyelid, an expression that could only be labeled as sarcastic flitting across his features, aqua eyes that mirrored those of Miguel filled with a sort of keenness, fatigue, and sympathy.

The Competizione only huffed in response, petulantly returning to his previous position on the lift, grumbling in Italian under his breath. Finn only smirked.

"Well, since you aren't trying to kill me, I believe that I can safely assume that you heard your mother's revelation back in Sicily."

Miguel's answer was rather deadpanned, "that, and the fact that you probably took my guns."

The Aston Martin's smirk suddenly fell, and his expression morphed into one of horror, "dear Ford, you are my son."

"Well you're a smart, aren't you?"

Finn groaned, closing his eyes with a grimace, "for the love of _Chrysler, _please stop. It's like speaking to a younger clone of myself."

The Competizione only smirked in response, startlingly similar to his father, settling down on his shocks with a painful sounding creak, his eyes falling shut as well. After becoming as comfortable as the situation would allow, the young car opened his eyes once more, inquiring, "What're you even going here, anyway?"

The Aston Martin harrumphed good-naturally, rising slightly on his tires, "well I couldn't leave your mother in here the entire time. She'd have gone mad with worry. So I sent her over to the café next door for a quart of oil to calm herself."

"So I can assume that she put you up to this?"

"You assume correctly."

Miguel then gave a humorless chuckle, wincing at some hidden pain, "well….I feel rather idiotic."

"How so?" Finn inquired curiously, an eyelid raised.

"Trusting Acrisio," the Competizione responded, gesticulating vaguely with his tires. "Because I refused to follow his demented orders, I ended up like this," he paused to gesture towards himself. "And true, I don't regret my actions, but I should've listened to my mother when she warned me about him…"

The Aston Martin shrugged—an understanding gesture, "you're young— you'll make mistakes. The good thing is that you can correct your wrongdoings."

Miguel nodded absently, gaze flitting over to the window, where muted voices could still be heard. Both cars were silent for some time, only the creaking of the Competizione's axles filling the silence.

"She would always tell stories about you, you know."

At the spy car's bewildered expression, Miguel continued, "well not you specifically, but when I was younger she would spin tales of a cunning master spy, able to defeat the strongest of villains and escape wholly unscathed…."

"Well it's nice to know that I wasn't forgotten all those years," Finn smirked, unconsciously swelling with pride. The Competizione rolled his eyes.

"Quite the opposite, actually. She was always thinking about you—I could tell—although a name was never mentioned…."

There was another paused before the Aston Martin spoke again, "You know, I'm beginning to think that your mother planned all of this."

"Yep," Miguel agreed. "Good ol' father-son time, courtesy of my mother. She's smarter than she looks."

"She is indeed."

Another pause.

"This doesn't mean that I'm going to start calling you '_pap__á_' anytime soon."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

"So…the guy in the clinic is your son, right?"

Giulia quickly glanced up from her quart of oil, startled, to meet the anxious gaze of a garnet stock car, from which she'd seen depicted on one-too-many television screens over the years. The sudden query had greatly astounded the Alfa Romeo, she hadn't thought the resemblance between her son and herself was so noticeable, besides the fact that most of the town's denizens had kept themselves distanced from her, mainly by the ever-so-slightly threatening looks a certain Aston Martin sent them, as if silently daring them to approach her. But now that the spy car was watching over their son, having effectively 'kicked her out' of the clinic, it seemed to have prompted the residents to speak up, even if the questions were a bit…surprising, to say the least. Even so, the Alfa Romeo was going to attempt to answer their queries with as much fidelity as possible. She owed them that, at the very least.

"Ah, _s__í,_" Giulia smiled warmly at Lightning's shocked expression, obviously having not expected her to answer. "Is it that palpable?"

The younger car—Giulia guessed that he was somewhere in his early to mid-twenties—rapidly shook his hood, as if physically dispelling the notion," no, it's just that you seem pretty…protective of him."

The Alfa Romeo smirked kindly in response, "it is what mothers do best, Lightning McQueen."

"Yeah, I guess—wait, how did you know my name?" the race car inquired in obvious bewilderment. The elder car pretended not to notice the attention they were drawing from the surrounding residents before answering with an even wider smirk.

"Well, I suppose that I should be able to recognize my son's racing idol, _no_?"

McQueen rolled back, seeming honestly surprised at the revelation, "wow, really? I would've thought he'd be a fan of Francesco seeing as how he's Italian…"

"Oh, no," Giulia started with a dismissive shake of the hood. "Miguel is a 'fan' of honest racers. This 'Francesco' was too much of a _narcisistico _for his liking."

The stock car's grin grew even wider, and he turned towards a light blue Porsche at his side, who the Alfa Romeo just realized was most likely his girlfriend, proudly dictating what Giulia told him, spoiler rising with pride. The Porsche only rolled her eyes at her beau's apparent cockiness, but it was met with a smile nonetheless. As the race car smugly recounted to his girlfriend, some of the other residents mustered the courage to speak to Giulia as well, including Mater, who had no problem striking up a conversation whatsoever, before McQueen diverted the Italian car's attention once more.

Turning away from the smaller vehicles from her own home country—Luigi having inquired where she bought her tires, pleasantly surprised and enormously joyous to find that they had come from his uncle's own tire shop, while Guido poked them tentatively—Giulia was met with another question from the young race car,"once your son's better, do ya' think he'd be up for a race? I've heard of the Competizione's speed, and just wanted to see it for myself…"

The Alfa Romeo could hardly stop the smile that spread across her grill as she nodded in response to the stock car's attempt at nonchalance, pleased to find the silence that head encompassed the café a few minutes ago had been replaced by the sounds of laughter and chatter, answering warmly.

"I'm sure Miguel would be honored."

* * *

Rolling out of the clinic/body art shop, Finn heaved a sigh, his frame literally sagging as he let out the breath he'd been holding, engine falling silent. His joints creaked as he stretched, only accenting as to how old he was becoming, settling on his shocks with a final sigh as he turned towards the café across the street. It seemed that most of the town's residents had gathered there, chatting happily as oil was passed around freely. And in the center of it all, was a familiar Alfa Romeo.

Smiling lightly, the Aston Martin started his engine, casually cruising over to the crowded café. As he neared the spy car noted that some of the elder male cars seemed to be a bit too-close-for-comfort around Giulia, and sped up in response.

Finn slid into the empty space at his love's side with hardly a sound, drawing her attention away from the surrounding conversations. That fact that Giulia had submerged herself so easily into the small American town surprised him—in the beginning, when she hadn't been watching Miguel, the Alfa Romeo had kept to herself, only speaking to him, Holley and Mater at select times. But now she spoke to the residents as if they were old friends, one of their own.

"Ah, Finn!" she smiled, gaze landing on the smirking Aston Martin before her expression became relatively anxious. "How is Miguel?"

"He's fine. Just regained consciousness a few minutes ago, actually."

"And…." Giulia faltered, biting her lower bumper uncertainly. "How did he take the news?"

The spy car only smirked, "it turns out that he already knew. Miguel happened to be conscious during your little revelation."

Giulia let out a relieved sigh, "thank the heavens. He doesn't take sudden hearsay very well…" there was a moment of comfortable silence, filled by the local denizens' exchanges, the couple surveying their surroundings with a sudden sense of realism before Finn spoke again, an even wider smirk adorning his grill.

"Well, it seems as if you've integrated yourself rather well."

The Alfa Romeo smiled warmly, gaze wandering fondly over the Radiator Springs residents, "it would seem so…they are a very kind people, especially that Mater fellow and your new partner." Giulia gave her love a playful nudge at that, turning back towards Finn once more.

The Aston Martin chuckled, "yes, although I suppose that she isn't nearly as good as you were."

Giulia grinned teasingly," I certainly hope that you were referring to her worth as a partner."

The spy car only sent her a suave smile in response, "of course, my dear." Giulia breathed a soft sigh then, almost a melancholy thing, and her love gave her an almost questioning nudge." What's wrong?"

"Nothing per say," the Alfa Romeo began, shifting her right tire, a sure sign of nervousness. "It's just been so long…and so much time had passed."

Finn gave her another comforting smile, "that may be true, but in reality, not much has changed."

"_Sí__, é vero_," Giulia mused, pouting thoughtfully before breaking out in a smile. "Could you just imagine Tomber's face once we see him again? Oh, and once things calm down we could return to that small village on the outskirts of Porto Corsa, with the little tire shop and all of the Fiats," the Alfa Romeo's expression brightened with every forthcoming possibility, "we can visit Leland in Chartres—I haven't spoken with Adele in so long!—and even journey to Detroit in order to see Rod!"

Finn's slightly amused smirk began to fade, receding into a rather chaste grimace as his love continued to rattle off the list of old friends and colleagues they could visit, oblivious to the fact that most had perished some time ago. The Aston Martin had to grudgingly admit that _very_ much had changed.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! I had school, and tests and stuff...as well as laziness...**_

_**Only around three more chapters to go, at most!**_

_**Please review!**_


	18. Chapter 18

_~Radiator Springs, Arizona 1400 Hours~_

_Nearly one year later..._

It wasn't most days that Holley could find some time for herself, and the rare occasions were to be taken advantage of.

The town was nearly silent, the voices of nearby inhabitants heard above all else, with the sound of slow country music echoing faintly through the streets. There were some months when Radiator Springs' tourism industry was nearly dead, with only a few travelers making the journey to the small township. The short-lived peace was to be appreciated by all, especially the Jaguar who had been vying for a day off.

Holley made her way to Flo's V-8-Café, greeting the cars she met on the way. Once she reached the station, the secret agent drove into her usual spot, second stall to last, and her engine quieted as she settled down. She gave a smile and a cordial 'hello' to Flo and some other diners before her holo-screen went up and all background noise faded into oblivion.

After making sure she didn't have any calls on the way over her communicator, she clicked something on her screen and the crescendo of violins instantly filled her interior. Holley smiled as The Meditation echoed through her mind, cylinders whirring with every rising note and her engine skipped several cycles when the tune dropped. With her music securely in tune, she began looking over mission files. Criminal records, VIN numbers and birth certificates flashed before her eyes, a blur to most but made perfect sense to her.

Lost in both the music and her work, the spy car failed to hear the purr of the Competizione's powerful engine as he reached the café.

Miguel looked over at the Jaguar staring intently at her holo-screen, raising a tire and waving it behind the holographic projection in an attempt to garner her attention. She didn't even react. He heard a chuckle behind him, and it took all of his willpower not to follow on impulse and deck the speaker, still-sore gears tensing painfully as he turned little by little. The Motorama car owning the café greeted him with an amused smile.

"Hey, hun!"

The Competizione managed a small smile in return," ah, _ciao_, _signora _Flo."

"Tryin' to get Miss Shiftwell to notice ya', huh?" she inquired with a sympathetic smile, handing another can of octane to one of her few customers. At the Italian car's nod, she continued. "Yeah, she sure gets sucked into her work….she can sit there for hours without even realizing it."

"Um...how do I get her attention?" Miguel questioned slowly, aqua eyes lingering on the Jaguar momentarily as he spoke.

Flo shrugged with a playful smirk, "don't know, hun. Maybe try pokin' her—mind her tazer though. It's in her left hubcap."

With that last bit of advice, the show car drove back into her store to prepare a drink for yet another customer. Miguel then turned gradually towards the spy car again, a grimace crossing his features before slowly making his way over to her right side, a good ways away from the tazer-wielding tire opposite.

Cautiously raising his own rubber appendage, Miguel gently prodded Holley's tire with his own, rolling back when her jade eyes snapped to attention. Once the secret agent took in her surroundings, her holo-screen deactivated, revealing a sheepish smile across her bumper. "Sorry," she apologized, rolling forward. "I always get a bit caught up in my work."

"It is-a 'okay'," Miguel nodded understandingly, driving out onto the main street. "We had better be going."

"I'll be right there," the Jaguar promised, before turning back to the café. "Will you be joining us, Flo?"

The Motorama car exited the main building of her café to give one of her customer's their drink. "I'll be up there in a minute, hun. Ramone's got one last customer, and we'll both head up once he's done."

"Alright, we'll see you there," Holley said, reversing out of the café with a final word of farewell, joining the Competizione on the newer asphalt. They drove in silence as they made their way through town, the large cliffs of Cadillac Range coming into closer focus as they left Radiator Springs. After a few minutes, the Jaguar glanced towards the younger car to her left.

"So. How are you and Finn getting along?"

Miguel seemed to shift from tire to tire momentarily, aqua eyes moving between the concrete whipping past below them and tire-track-cloud covered sky. "Alright, I suppose…," he began slowly, finally settling. "It still startles him when we act so similarly."

Holley smirked, "well, he has the right to be. You act almost like a little clone of his sometimes, especially with your mannerisms." The Italian car smirked lightly, bobbing his hood. "And anyway, the Jaguar continued. "Is your mother fitting in well? I expect her shop to be doing all right?"

The Competizione nodded once more,"_s__í_. The 'Miss Piston' jewelry store is becoming quite popular by the other residents' standards. Especially with the younger couples."

"And I heard that she had the utmost pleasure of selling an engagement lug nut to Lightning McQueen a little over a month ago, am I correct?"

"Yes," Miguel affirmed, a teasing smirk beginning to spread across his drill. "And my mother said that she is looking forward to the day when Mater comes in to purchase something."

Holley blushed under her paint, but swiftly rebuttled,"and if I recall correctly, you even took a particular liking to one of Leland Turbo's daughter when you went with your parents to visit his widowed wife? Alette, was it?"

An almost lovelorn look spread across the Competizione's features, though he swiftly brushed it off at his elder's chuckle. "Perhaps," he amended. "But I did enjoy meeting Mrs. Turbo. My mother told me much about her."

"How did she react when she saw Giulia?"

Miguel gave a chagrined smile, "she burst into tears."

"Hm," the secret agent sighed, her attention momentarily drawn by the multicolored sandstone cliffs around them. "And did your parents tell you about their other meetings with past colleagues?"

The younger car bobbed his hood in affirmation, he too drawn to the panorama surrounding the two of them, answering with distant eyes. "_Sí._ They journeyed to Paris first, to meet with a three-wheeled car I believe they called 'Tomber'. I was told that he nearly keeled over in dead faint upon seeing my mother after so long."

Holley grinned," I would love to have seen that."

Miguel chuckled, nodding slightly once more, though his gaze still wandered over the road and rock formations. "After that, they went to…. ah, 'Detroit', to visit a Mrs. Redline. She was apparently overjoyed to see the both of them—she has three children, two boys and a girl, though seems to be doing fine, despite the circumstances."

"Well that's good to hear," the Jaguar mused, biting her lower bumper in thought for a moment. "And so I take it that your race against Lightning McQueen was as enjoyable as you made it out to be?"

"We tied," the Competizione admitted. "But only because I was still recuperating. We're going to have a rematch as soon as my injuries are fully healed and Lightning returns from his honeymoon."

Both cars fell silent as they finally exited a tunnel, faced with a breathtaking waterfall. Miguel let out a low whistle as they drove over the slim bridge next to it, and after a few moments, Holley spoke again.

"And how is your mother?"

Miguel shrugged off-handedly, "she is…alright. Happy, I should say. She truly enjoys living in Radiator Spring, and loves all of its inhabitants. She only becomes bit…shall we say depressed when Finn leaves for a mission."

"Yes," the spy car hummed. "She's pent on her decision of not returning to C.H.R.O.M.E., isn't she?"

"Indeed," the Italian car agreed. They both paused a beat, before Miguel inquired. "So…you are sure that my mother will be safe here?"

Holley glanced back to the younger car, only to meet his intense blue-eyed gaze, eerily reminiscent of her own partner's. She nodded with a soft reassuring smile. "I'm positive. And besides, according to the records, neither Giulia nor Miguel Carcione ever existed."

* * *

_**A/N: OMG- an actual update on this story! I apologize for the long wait :/ Overall laziness, writer's block, and school got in the way once again...**_

_**And as to where Miguel and Holley are going...it shall be revealed in the next (and final) chapter...I think...^^**_

_**Anyway, reviews are love! :T**_

_**~Oh, and my school FINALLY instated a Creative Writing class/program- I will do my very best to join! Wish me luck! *raised fists of determination*~**_

_**Also, I do not own Cars. The right goes to the benevolent PIXAR gods..**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Wedlock**_

_****A/N: Finally! And actual update, and the last one too! I really hope you enjoy this, and apologies for the four months it took for me to put this up :T _

_Cars and its characters belong to Pixar. If I had the ability to make off this, I wouldn't really be here right now. _

* * *

"Are you nervous, Finn?"

The Aston Martin turned away from the view of the valley to face his old friend, an eyelid raised.

Tomber quickly rolled back, slightly unsteady on the rocky ground, knowing a look of intimidation when he saw one, and chuckled sardonically,"Ah, _oui_, I forget, the great Finn McMissile fears nothing! Nerves of steel and all that, correct?"

As the C.H.R.O.M.E. agent rolled his eyes, Mater drove over to the pair, usual exuberant grin bedecking his features,"Aw, don't listen ta' him, Finn!" the tow truck assured, gesturing excitedly with his two front tires. "You 'n Miss Gulia are gunna be happy togetha' 'till tha' end a' time!"

The Reliant Regal rolled his eyes as well. "I pity her."

Finn quickly regained control of the conversation. "I'm not worried, either of you. And Mater," the Aston Martin turned to the tow truck with a grateful smile, "I cannot thank you enough for managing to convince your friends to allow us to have the wedding here."

"Aw, it was nuthin', Finn," Mater shrugged bashfully, but with a clearly proud smile. "Anythin' fer yous an' Gulia."

"And I cannot believe so many cars decided to attend," Tomber observed, watching as several well-known friends made their way up the winding road leading to the Wheel Well, taking their positions on either side of the center aisle. A majority of Radiator Springs' residents were already in attendance, milling around and speaking amongst themselves before the ceremony began.

"Unbelievable indeed," Finn scoffed lightly, turning to face the drop-off that provided the rural township with what was in Finn's opinion one of the most breathtaking views he had ever seen. Neither he nor Giulia tired of seeing it in the time since she had arrived, and now, to the uttermost irony, they were to be married in front of it.

"Dad-gum, ain't it somethin' that even Lightnin' an' Sally came back early from their honeymoon ta' come ta' the weddin'?" Mater mulled aloud, drawing the Aston Martin's from his reverie.

Finn blinked, but nodded after a moment with a slowly-growing smile. Leave it to the tow truck to guide the attention back to his newly-wed best friend. "Say, Finn," Mater began, turning back to face the spy car with an inquisitive look. "Do ya' think Gulia's nervous too?"

The Aston Martin chuckled, appearing honestly amused by the notion, "I highly doubt that, Mater."

* * *

"There's no reason to be nervous, Giulia," Holley advised, watching the pacing Alfa Romeo wear a rut into the ground.

"I-I'm-a not...nervous," the Italian car disagreed distractedly, her newly touched up paintjob winking in the light of the spare Wheel Well room.

The Citroen that had been idling by the door gave a chaste smile, eyes faraway, "I remember how anxious I was before my wedding…"

Giulia turned to lock eyes with her old friend and gave Adele a comforting smile. The petite French car responded with one of her own, returning to reality, "You have nothing to worry about," Adele continued in her defined accent. "The wedding will go perfectly according to plan."

"I'm-a not worried about the wedding," Giulia admitted, her pacing having finally ceased. "Just..." the Alfa Romeo paused, "Fate has kept Finn and I apart long enough…I wonder if it will be cruel enough to do so again."

The Jaguar's eyes widened at the admission, but was quick to comfort her partner's fiancée, "You shouldn't think like that…it's just pre-wedding jitters. Sally was quite jumpy herself before her wedding as well."

Giulia chuckled, pausing in the center of the room, "I suppose you are right…"

"Of course she is," Adele replied, leading the Alfa Romeo back to the long mirror at the other end of the room. "Now do stop that pacing! No need to become, eh, 'worked up' over nothing, _oui?"_

"_Oui_," the Italian car sighed, resigning herself to the Citroen's last-minute touchups. After a few moments, Adele rolled back, admiring her work.

"You look beautiful, Giulia," she praised softly, lapsing into nostalgia for a moment. "I cannot even imagine what it would be like for my daughters when it is their wedding day…"

Giulia gave her long-time friend an empathetic smile, "I am sure that it will be just as stunning as yours was."

Adele gave a wistful smile, her gaze falling on the Jaguar just behind her,"Ah, and you _mademoiselle_?"

Holley glanced up, "What about me, Miss Turbo?"

The Citroen grinned coyly, "Well, we are all wondering when your wedding day will be."

Before the spy car could dignify that with an answer, and as a result, only blushed profusely in response, the door to the motel room creaked open to reveal a slim, silver Competizione. Miguel met his mother's gaze and smiled softly. "It is-a time."

* * *

Finn inhaled deeply, as to quell his suddenly rampant nerves. This was it…after so many years.

Mater had been the obvious choice for best man, although the space between the Aston Martin and tow truck, where the position would usually be filled, was empty, as Mater had placed himself a bit ways away. The spy car could've easily imagined the red Jaguar that would had occupied the space there, however. Mater did too, apparently, and honored Leland's memory by leaving the space.

Tomber was serving as the one to marry them, though Finn did not want to know how he had gained the credentials. The Reliant Regal idled a few feet behind him, casually flipping through the small black leather-bound book he would be reading from in a few minutes time.

The crowd's murmuring was brought to a sudden standstill as soft music began playing, an instrumental version of 'A Sunday Kind of Love'. Finn repressed a nervous gulp, and heard Mater chuckle and shake his cab in anticipation. Tomber nudged the Aston Martin and muttered jovially, "Good luck, Finn."

Finn bit back a rather scathing retort, as his nerves were more-or-less fried, and instead watched as cars began driving down the aisle. A small emerald green Audi was first, her eyes averted as she dropped flower petals in her wake. Rod Redline's only daughter instantly drove over to her mother, a pretty Audi 100 Coupe S, once her job as flower girl was completed, and a small chuckle arose from the crowd at her shy behavior. Her two elder brothers already sat at their mother's side, watching over the proceedings with feigned disinterest.

The bridesmaids were next; Adele cruising up first with her hood held high in pride, followed by Holley, smiling softly at the gathered cars. Once the pair had situated themselves, Finn heard a subtle click as Ramone—who was manning the stereo system for the wedding—changed the song. Mendelssohn's Wedding March echoed over the bluff in the next instant, and the Aston Martin felt his tires suddenly lock into place. And then there she was.

He had never seen her looking so beautiful. Her candy apple paint was as vibrant as it had been the first day he laid eyes on her. Giulia's hubcaps shown, and her blue-grey eyes were bright behind her gossamer veil, and her smile grew as she met his gaze. Miguel was at her side, escorting his mother, his usual frown replaced by the smallest of smiles. As they both neared, the Competizione paused before the makeshift altar, rolling back to allow his mother to move forward. He nodded shortly, aqua eyes piercing his father's identical ones. "Take care of her," he murmured succinctly, before driving back to take his place in the first row alongside Lightning and Sally McQueen. And all too soon, Giulia idled beside him, and as they turned to face Tomber, the crowd respectfully lowered on their axles.

The little Reliant Regal cleared his throat dramatically, before flipping to the correct page in his book. "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Giulia Del Tyre and Finn McMissile in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined." Clearly taking his position seriously, Tomber raised his voice, surveying the crowd as he spoke again. "If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace." A beat of silence passed, before the three-wheeled car rose grandly, expression smug. His accent put a definitely different sense to the words, but the unusualness added…something _more_ to the language.

"'Marriage is a commitment to life,  
the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.  
It offers opportunities for sharing and growth  
that no other relationship can equal.  
It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.

Within the circle of its love,  
marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships.  
A wife and a husband are each other's best friend,  
confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.  
And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing,  
and the love of the other may resemble  
the tender caring of a parent or child.

Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life.  
Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher,  
commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly,  
and passes away more quickly.

Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life  
is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life,  
new experiences, new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.

When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage,  
they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer  
than any spoken or written words.  
Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people  
who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill'."

Finn startled discreetly at the amount of emotion his old friend had put into the poem he and Giulia had chosen. As Tomber turned the page in his book, he blatantly avoided the Aston Martin's gaze. The Alfa Romeo nudged him then, drawing Finn's attention, and she offered him a warm smile, both knowing what was to follow.

Tomber rolled back reverently, front end bowed as he recited, "The bride and groom will now exchange the vows they have chosen for themselves."

The couple turned to look into each other's eyes, and Finn felt his engine turn over at his bride's splendor. Something clenched inside him as he realized how long it had taken them to get to this point. The Aston Martin cleared his throat before declaring warmly, "I love you not only for your beauty, but your intelligence, your kindness...and for the way you always know how to make me feel like I'm not a complete twit." A chuckle arose from the crowd and Giulia, and Finn pressed on with a growing smile, his gaze never leaving that of his love. "So on top of all the other vows that I will make to you on our wedding day, I also vow to always appreciate how lucky I am to have someone who makes me feel the way you do and to continue to try as hard as I can to make you feel as special as you make me feel, until the day my multiple enemies get the better of me."

The Aston Martin was almost positive that he saw his Holley brushing away tears, as well as a few of those in the crowd, but he definitely heard Adele sobbing silently beside his bride. Giulia sent him a watery smile, before clearing her throat to perform her own vows, and just as his had been, hers were also laced with silent promises.

"You have been my best friend, mentor, confidant, and my greatest challenge since the day we met. But most importantly, you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine, and more loved than I ever thought possible... You have made me a better person, as our love for one another is reflected in the way I live my life. So I am truly blessed to be a part of your life, which as of today becomes our life together." By now, several of the gathered cars were silently hiding their tears, and tearing his gaze away from the Alfa Romeo's captivating blue-grey eyes, he swiftly scanned the group with a speed one could only develop from working as he did for the past two decades.

Beside him, Mater was grinning from headlight to headlight, and on Giulia's side, Adele was still weeping, though a smile graced her petite features. Holley was trying to be strong, but tears also glimmered in her eyes. In the last row, Sheriff was sniffling apathetically from beside a bewildered Lizzie and openly sobbing Red, with Flo and Ramone watching with silent grins. In the following row, Mrs. Redline and her three children idled, the eldest of the four observing with a teary smile. Then came Fillmore and Sarge, the latter trying to appear affronted by the goings-on around him, while the Volkswagen Bus chided him. Alongside them was the Italian pair, Luigi and Guido, their eyes large with repressed tears and whimpering pitifully. Dozens more vehicles filled the spaces, ranging from friends he and Giulia had met over the years, to old comrades from C.H.R.O.M.E. He was certain that he had seen Calvin Muffler amongst the gathered, but he couldn't be sure.

Though in the front row, Lightning and Sally were smiling brightly, with Miguel a bit ways away. The silver Competizione, startlingly, appeared to be on the verge of tears, and he locked eyes with his father for an instant. He nodded, and Finn felt his heart swell. His son had given them his official consent.

Tomber coughed, though if it was in order to hide the soft spot he had suddenly obtained or get the crowd's attention was anyone's guess. He nodded to the forklift in the second row, and Guido's tears abruptly vanished before he sped up to the altar, somehow procuring a satin pillow with two polished lug nuts, brandishing his drill. Finn nodded as the little Italian forklift drove over to Giulia's side with one of the lug nuts, and the Aston Martin said, "With this lug nut, I thee wed."

The roaring of the drill piercing the silence for a few seconds before Guido was content with the result, and coasted over to Finn's side with the remaining lug nut. "With this lug nut, I thee wed," Giulia repeated softly.

"_Felicitazioni," _the forklift chirped after drilling the last nut into place, before zipping back into the crowd. Tomber cleared his throat again, though the little French car couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his front bumper.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Arizona, France, and the website where I got my credentials, and witnessed by your friends and family, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Finn could feel the anticipation bubbling from the crowd, just waiting to release their collective cheers, catcalls, and wolf whistles, but he ignored the feeling. He locked eyes with his love, and felt the unspoken words travel between them.

_I love you._

Tomber continued, sending his old friend a knowing smirk and wink as he declared, "You may now kiss the bride."

And so he did.

* * *

_**A/N: And...there! This story is now officially over!**_

_I would like to thank **everyone **who ever reviewed, favorite-ed, or story alert-ed this fic! It all means so much to me :D _

_Also, I can't thank Funkywatermelon enough for allowing me to use this plot, and pretty much give me free reign with it. You are awesome! _

_As for the vows, I found them on numerous wedding websites, which was part of the reason it took me so long to update. The poem Tomber read is called **"Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love" by Edmund O'Neill, **and I don't own that either. _

_Thanks again for your response to this fic! All final reviews would be extremely appreciated :D _


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